Thomas Jefferson to David Hosack, 13 July 1816
To David Hosack
Monticello July 13. 16.
[S]ir
Uninformed of the persons particularly connected with the Botanical garden of N.Y. I hope I shall be pardoned for this address to yourself. I have just recieved from my antient friend Thouin, director of the king’s garden at Paris a packet of seeds selected by him as foreign to the US. they are of the last year’s gathering, but he informs me that if they arrive (as they have done) too late to be committed to the earth this year, most of them will be still good for the ensuing year. not believing I could make a better use of them than by presenting them to the Botanical garden of N. York, I have taken the liberty of sending the packet to your address by mail, and, altho’ large, I have thought the object justified my franking it. I have not opened the packet knowing I could not pack them so well again; but coming from Thouin I am sure they are worthy the acceptance of the garden. Accept the assurance of my great respect & consideration.
Th: Jefferson
PoC (DLC); on verso of reused address cover of William H. Crawford to TJ, 31 May 1816; salutation incomplete due to polygraph malfunction; at foot of text: “Dr Hosack”; endorsed by TJ.
Hosack founded the Elgin Botanic garden in 1801 just outside what was then the boundary of New York City. In 1810 ownership of the garden was transferred to the state of New York (Hosack, A Statement of Facts relative to the Establishment and Progress of the Elgin Botanic Garden [New York, 1811]).
Index Entries
- Elgin Botanic Garden (New York City) search
- France; gardens in search
- France; seeds from search
- gardens; in New York City search
- gardens; Jardin des Plantes search
- Hosack, David; and Elgin Botanic Garden search
- Hosack, David; letters to search
- Jardin des plantes et Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle; seeds from search
- New York (city); Elgin Botanic Garden search
- seeds; for Elgin Botanic Garden search
- seeds; sent by TJ search
- seeds; sent to TJ search
- Thoüin, André; sends seeds to TJ search