To Thomas Jefferson from Philippe Reibelt, 15 May 1805
From Philippe Reibelt
Baltimore le 15 Mai 1805.
Monsieur le President!
Permettez—qu’en Qualitè d’amateurs practiques de l’Agriculture—je Vous presente la Question, si Vous n’avez jamais cultivè le petit Maïs d’Italie, nommè: Quarantino (Zea Mays I. var. præcox, humïlis) qui donne sur 40,000 pieds □ depuis le Mois de Mars 4 recoltes, chaque à 8000 ℔—mes. francaise—qui’on a—il y a 5 Ans, commencé de Cultiver en Suisse avec le même Succes—excepté la 4me. recolte &c. — Et dans le Cas negatif, s’il Vous feroit plaisir, d’en avoir quelques grains avec les Observations necessaires?
J’ai l’honneur, de Vous saluer avec le plus profond, et le plus sincere respect.
Reibelt
Editors’ Translation
Baltimore, 15 May 1805
Mister President!
Given our shared interest in agriculture, permit me to ask you a question. Have you ever grown the small Italian corn known as Zea Mays I, quarantino, praecox, humilis? Since March it has produced four harvests on a 40,000-square-foot field, each harvest yielding 8,000 pounds in French weight. Five years ago the corn was first planted in Switzerland with the same success, except for the fourth harvest, etc. If you have not planted it, would you like to have some seeds with the necessary instructions?
I have the honor of sending you my deepest and most sincere respect.
Reibelt
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 16 May and so recorded in SJL.
Maïs d’Italie: TJ maintained an interest in propagating this variety of corn, which he most often rendered as “quarentine.” By 1806 it made up a portion of the corn planted at Monticello (, 336, 446; TJ to Thomas Mann Randolph, 2 June 1805; TJ to Christian Mayer, 20 June 1806; TJ to John Mason, 20 June 1806; Thomas Digges to TJ, 30 June 1806; William Hamilton to TJ, 7 July 1806; Bernard McMahon to TJ, 12 July 1806; McMahon to TJ, 26 Dec. 1806; TJ to Edmund Bacon, 21 Nov. 1806; memorandum to Bacon, 13 May 1807).