From Benjamin Franklin to ——— Mazue, 19 March 1784
To ——— Mazue
AL (draft):4 American Philosophical Society
Passy, March 19. 1784—
Sir,
I received your Favour of the 27th. past, proposing the Cultivation of the Vine in America. Our People5 conceive that it is yet too early to put such a Project in Execution. Labour is too dear there, and the Culture of Wheat more profitable & certain; in Exchange for which either directly or indirectly, we can procure the Wines of Europe.6 I cannot therefore give you any Hopes of Success in such an Enterprize; for tho’ proper Land & Climate might be found, the Wines could not be produc’d so cheap as they are imported.— I have the honour to be Sir,
Proposal to make Wine in America & Answer
4. Written on a blank leaf of the letter to which it was a response: Mazue to BF, Feb. 27, 1784 (summarized in XLI, 448). At the top of the draft, WTF wrote “Letter (in French)”, probably a note to L’Air de Lamotte to prepare a translation for BF’s signature.
5. BF interlined the phrase “Our People”. He originally wrote “I”.
6. BF had first written “France”.