George Washington Papers

From George Washington to James Madison, 10 January 1794

To James Madison

Friday 10th Jany 1794.

Dear Sir,

Herewith you will receive Sundry Pamphlets &ca under the patronage of Sir John Sinclair. I send you his letters to me also, that the design may be better understood.1

From all these, you will be able to decide, whether a plan of enquiry similar to the one set on foot in G. Britn, would be likely to meet legislative or other encouragement, and of what kind, in this Country.2

These, or any other ideas which may result from the perusal of the papers, I would thank you for, as the letters remain unacknowledged, and the writer of them will expect this if nothing more.3

AL[S], PWacD: Feinstone Collection; ADfS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.

1For the enclosed letters and pamphlets from British agriculturist John Sinclair, see his letters to GW of 15 June and 15 Aug. 1793.

2The United States did not have any official agency similar to the British Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement, which Sinclair helped to establish in 1793, until the creation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862.

3Madison did not find the time to evaluate the information in Sinclair’s letters and pamphlets (Madison to GW, 8 Feb. 1794). GW did not acknowledge Sinclair’s letters and pamphlets until his reply of 20 July.

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