My mind is impressed with many things, which you have been required to give answers to, which have never been received; and this will forever be the case if you depend upon the mere reading a letter over when you set down to answer it; without first noting on a slate or a piece of waste paper, every point as you come to it, that requires to be touched upon; crossing it when complied with; or to stand uncrossed if you are unable to give an answer at that moment until you can do it at another time. Among these things is one of a very interesting nature to me, namely, an exact experiment and worth of an hundred bushels of Wheat when manufactured, compared with the price of it in grain; that I might decide therefrom whether it would have been best to sell my wheat, or manufacture it into flour, before it was too late to decide. After frequently writing and pressing this matter, I at length got an imperfect statement made from light wheat; but was promised a more perfect one but which has never been recd.; although it is months since it was promised. I have selected this as an important instance of suffering things to escape. I could enumerate many more of no other or greater moment than as they would have gratified me; not being able to see things myself. But the reason why I mention this, (as I am fully satisfied you have every disposition in the world to comply with my wishes) is merely to let you see that it is by trusting too much to your memory, that these things happen. I am persuaded no instance has happened of your asking me a question by letter, or applying for directions without receiving an answer. The reason is, that whenever I set down to write you, I read your letter, or letters carefully over, and as soon as I come to a part that requires to be noticed, I take a short note on the cover of a letter, or piece of waste paper; then read on to the next, noting that in like manner; and so on until I have got through the whole letter and reports. Then in writing my letter to you, as soon as I have finished what I have to say on one of these notes I draw my pen through it and proceed to another, and another, until the whole is done, crossing each as I go on, by which means if I am called off twenty times whilst I am writing, I can never with these notes before me finished, or unfinished, omit anything I wanted to say; and they serve me also as I keep no copies of letters I write to you, as Memorandums of what has been written if I should have occasion at any time to refer to them. I wish you well and am Yr friend

G:^o Washington