New-York tribune., 1876-01-21

pp 545. J. Il. LppineOt Co.
The interest of Mr. Adams's pregnant diary in'
creases with the present volume. which includes the
last wear of his administration, the tervai OF TWO
years before his election TO the twenty secouu Non
rress and his life in Washington a member of the
House of Representatives. from the year 1891 10
1893. His comments on political affairs and the
pubc mon of that day are marked by his usual frank
ness of expression, are often of a highly personal
character and with deep tinge of the bitterness
and disappointment which attended the close Oh MS
presidential career. considerable portion OF 'no
journal is written in querulous tone, coihplaii"s
with not little asperity of the prominent poh'lod'
1aders but complaining of none more severely tnah
n, bmself with q despOnding view of the pros
pects of the country, and a no less deSl'Oh0-
ing view of his own character and perform
ances Mr. Adams was too scf-cOnscious TO
be a happy man. He was intensely ambitious
but lacked the personal qualities which contribute
largely TO popular success. His standard was Inc
highest but Lis sense of failure was more exqulslte
than his JOY in accomplishment Even IN his lter.
ary pursuits which the favorite recreatlOhs OF
his life the charm Of spOntaneity was absent ana
he imposed upon himself degree of tolsome eiiort
which made his devotion to the MUSES. drudg'fy
rather than a delight. His love OF Nature presents
the most cheerful aspect of his character lie was
ALWAYS at home in his gardens with the flowers ana
of Spring with an ever fresh interest, ana nouhe
tho uroQrrss of vegetation with as much
zeal as if it involved the fortunes OF en-
nires Such entries as the following are frequent =
"This has been harassing day; but perceived
tamarnd heaving up the earth III the
center of tumber No. 2; and l planted III
tumbler No l three whole HautbOy Strawberries"
81 observe this day almost the first appearances OF
vegetation; spots of verdure colorlng upon Tue
ground But my mood was not penslve.' June L.
The first Seeding appe-tree that had observed on
my return here Quincy, just out of the ground,
was on the 22d of April. IL had grown slowly but
constantly since and had put out five or six leaves
Last evening after my return from Boston, saw II
perfectly sound. This morning found II broken
off leaving one lobe of the seedleayes and one leaf
over il. This may have been the work of bug, OF
d rhaps of a caterpillar. 1t would not be imagna-
BE 10 any person free from hObbyhorse or fanclfa
attachments how much modification such an incl
dent occasions. st. Evremond, after removing INTO
the country, returned to city lie De
eause he found himsef in despair for the
loss of a pigeon. His conclusion was tha'
fural life induced exorbitant attachments 10
insignificant objects. My experiences eomionnable
10 this My natural propensity was to raise trees
fr1ut and forest from the seed. / had IL IN early
youth but the course of my life deprived me OF the
means of pursuing the bent of my inclination. One
shebark- walnut tree in my garden, the nut oi
which planted Sth October, 1904, and one MAJ
gard cherry-tree in the grounds north of the house.
the stone Of which planted about the same time
are the only remains of my experiments OF so an
cent a date. Had my life been spent in the country
and my experiments commenced while l was nj
college | should now have a large fruit-garden
fou1ishing orchards Of native fruit aud very vau-
able forests instead of which have nursery OF
abont half an acre of ground, half full of seedlings
from Eve years to five days old, bearing for the first
time perhaps twenty peaches, and few
blossoms Of aprieOts and cherries; and hun
dreds Of seedlings Of the present year, per-
ishing from day to day before my eyes"
"22d There were copious showers in the night,
which relieved the vegetation for few days from
its perishing condition, and saved me no small mum
Der of Seeding trees. | found large breach this
morning in the western wall of my nursery, near
the old central appe-Tee. II had fallen III since last
evening, and had crushed a young horse-chestnut
and hickory walnut tree. Ny two men soon put up
the wall again. and then by my direction took out
two rocks weighing each from three 10 four hundred
pounds, from the bearinc-ground l had their
places filed mp with old manure from the garden.
planted a row of sixty garden cherry-stoncs on the
eastern border Of the patch, opposite to the nursery
gate, and behind them, at proper intervals, Med
ford a Downton a nursery Seeding and a kean
are planted with stakes and inscribed stones. found
three new Seeding trees just up, not knowing what
they are. My elm-seeds have come up more freely
than any others that ever planted. had my patch
of Railway Wild strawberTy-plants at the entrance
Of the nursery gate spaded up. 1t was overspread
and smothered by clOver-gTass. This experiment
has failed and shows that the transpantaon OF the
plant of the wild strawberry does not improve Its
fruit"
The diary contains many interesting records of
the daily routine of bis life while president sho w
ing "a asimDeity andindustry of which the biography
Of few eminent statesmen afford parallel For
instance -" / rise generally before ive-frequenty
before four Write from one TO two hours in this diary
Ride about twelve miles in two hours, on horse
bsck, with my son John. Return home about nine ;
breakfast; and from that time till dinner between
five and six afternoon am occupied ncessantly with
visitors business, and reading letters dispatches,
and newspapers. spend an hour sometimes before
and sometimes after dinner in the garden and nur-
scry; an hour of drOwsiness sofa, and two hours
Of writing in the evening. Retire usually between
eleven and midnight. My riding on horseback is
dangerous and desperate resort for the recovery OF
nv healthr "The morning was cool bathed in the
river from the boat, but in fifteen minutes swim
ming found myself SO much fatigued that was
obliged TO return TO the boat before reaching the
shore. Visited the garden and afterward the
nursery In the southern seedliDg-bed a few black
walnuts and shagbarls are still coming up-scarcey
enough TO replace those that die In the
eastern seedling-bed there has been for weeks
no new vegetation, except of woods
and few struggling self-planted lilacs.'
"Mrs. Adams is winding silk from several hundred
silk-wOrms that she has been rearing, and am en-
gagged in long correspondence with my son Charles,
4 II.