Thomas Jefferson to John H. Cocke, 12 March 1813
To John H. Cocke
Monticello Mar. 12. 13.
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to mr Cocke, whose servant is desired to take as many Broom plants as he pleases, but having never found them to succeed by transplantation, he sends him some seed, which generally succeeds, altho sometimes it does not come up till the second spring.—he sends him also a little seed of the Sprout Kale, a plant he recieved from The National garden of France about 3. years ago, never before in this country. it is to be sown & managed as the Cabbage, but to stand in it’s place thro’ the winter uncovered. it’s only use is to furnish sprouts, of which it will yield 2. or 3. crops of 6. or 8 I. long, in a winter, beginning in December & continuing thro’ the whole winter, till the plant goes to seed in the spring. it is a tender & delicious winter vegetable. he salutes mr Cocke with esteem & respect.
RC (ViU: TJP); dateline at foot of text; addressed: “John H. Cocke esq.”; endorsed by Cocke. Not recorded in SJL.
On 20 Mar. 1812 TJ recorded planting Scotch broom that had been sent to him from Edinburgh by James Ronaldson ( , 475).
Index Entries
- cabbage; cultivated by TJ search
- Cocke, John Hartwell; letters to search
- Cocke, John Hartwell; TJ sends seed to search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; sprout kale search
- kale; sprout search
- Ronaldson, James; sends seeds to TJ search
- scotch broom search
- seeds; cabbage search
- seeds; from J. Ronaldson search
- seeds; kale, sprout search
- seeds; scotch broom search