1To George Washington from Richard Peters, 30 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
R. Peters’s respectful Compliments to The President & returns the Pamplet on the Foo⟨t⟩ Plough with Thanks for the Perusal. R.P. thinks there are many good & useful Observations in the Book, but he cannot prefer the Plough to the Bar Share Plough in Use among good Farmers here. The Idea of accomodating one Plough to many & different Operations may be well executed. But he would rather have...
2To George Washington from Richard Peters, 17 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
I was from Hence when your Letter enclosing Mr Young’s Queries & Observations arrived or I should have acknowledged the Honour of recieving it. I will with Pleasure take an Opportunity of complying with your Request. I do not wonder that Mr Young is embarrassed in his Endeavors to account for the actual State of Things in the agricultural Branch in this Country. The Results are I believe...
3To George Washington from Richard Peters, 14 April 1794 (Washington Papers)
Your Note lay, without my Knowledge, on my Table, ’till last Evening, or I should have sent the Agricultural Papers before this Time. I am much obliged & gratified by the Perusal of them. I had formed a Plan of abstracting Parts of these Papers for Observation, & Part for Publication. But there seems a Fatality attendant on my Plan, for I have met with Interruptions in every Attempt I have...
4To George Washington from Richard Peters, 5 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Office of Comr of Loans for Pennsilvania is vacant by the Decease of Mr Smith who married my Sister & has left little or Nothing behind him but a good Name, many Friends & a Wife & seven Children several of whom are in their Minority. On hearing of his Death I thought of Nothing on the Subject but lending my Assistance from my own Resources towards the Support of that Part of the Family...
5To George Washington from Richard Peters, 22 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
I was ashamed to send you so hasty & desultory a List of Observations on Mr Young’s Letter & on Reflection I find I have not paid sufficient Attention to some material Parts of it. By the Desire I had of speedily complying with your Request I have in a great Degree defeated the Object of the Trouble you were pleased to take in making it. It will however be now too late to do anything more, as...
6To George Washington from Richard Peters, 26 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have endeavoured to find out the Prices of Land at & near Philadelphia & from thence to Lancaster on & near the Route to that Place. But these Prices are so various that I am not able to fix on any Average. £100 ⅌ Acre is offered for Land on the West Side of Schuylkill near the Bridge —Near £60 this Currency were given last year for Land a Mile further West—I would not take this Sum for my...
7To George Washington from Richard Peters, 14 February 1794 (Washington Papers)
I have returned, under a Hope of seeing them again when they have gone their rounds, the Papers you were so good as to lend me on Agriculture. I have not had sufficient Leisure to peruse them with the Attention they deserve. I have a great Desire to read them with Care. I see no precise Object S[i]r J. has requiring more than a bare Acknowledgment of their reciept from you —I have sent a Dozen...
8To George Washington from Richard Peters, 2 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
Averse as I am from a Desire to trouble you on such Subjects my Anxiety on Account of the Situation in which a worthy character is unfortunately placed has induced me to take the Liberty of mentioning to you the unhappy Predicament in which General Wayne stands—As Matters have turned out he was cursed with a Present from the State of Georgia of a Rice Plantation which they gave him with very...
9To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
I shall be happy if I can assist in solving Mr Young’s Queries; but the Time will not admit either of Accuracy or the Combinations necessary to form the Average of Labour, Building & Improvement applicable to the State at large. From Mr Y’s Calculations, formed I presume upon Communications from you, I am surprized to find that the Prices of Labour & Quantity of Product are, in a great Degree,...
10To George Washington from Richard Peters, 16 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
The Accounts given to the British Board of Agriculture are in general drawn up in a masterly Manner; so, as I should suppose (especially after being circulated for Correction) fully to answer the Expectations formed in the excellent Plan which produced them. They exhibit as well beneficial Practices, as Defects in Agriculture. They contain a Fund of Information, useful in political Œconomy &...
11To George Washington from Richard Peters, 12 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
I have so long waited for the Answers to a Number of Queries, I proposed to several of our most intelligent Farmers, on the subject of Manures, & particularly the Gypsum; & have been so much disappointed in not receiving the requisite Information, that I cannot longer trespass on your Patience, by detaining Sr J. Sinclair’s Communications which I now return to you. Many of the Subjects are too...
12To George Washington from Richard Peters, 20 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
I had prepared the enclosed a considerable Time ago but have waited for a Communication from a Person who does the most in the Grazing Line of any Person I have heard of. But he has not made the Communication from a silly Belief that it is not for a public Purpose but a private one that I wish to get the Acct from him[.] I therefore delay no longer to send you the best Answer to Mr Y.’s Query...
13To George Washington from Richard Peters, 23 July 1794 (Washington Papers)
By Mistake I did not send the Papers herewith returned when the Rest of Sr J. Sinclair’s Agricultural Communications were returned to you. I have glanced over them again & see Nothing necessary (with Deference to your better Opinion) for you, Sir, to answer but a general Acknowledgment & some approbatory Remarks, as general as may be. To descend into Particulars would take up much of your Time...
14To George Washington from Richard Peters, 8 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
I send you the best Answers I can make to Sr J. St. Clair’s Queries. Had I supposed you wished them sooner I should have paid earlier Attention to them. I return the Book which I have not had Leisure enough to read with the Care it appears to merit. I have the Honour to be with the most respectful Esteem Your very obedt Servt ALS , DLC:GW . GW wrote Sir John Sinclair on 20 Oct. 1792 that he...