To George Washington from Thomas Peters, 18 November 1786
From Thomas Peters
Baltim[or]e Novr 18th 1786
Sir
I have the pleasure of recieving your favour of the 21 of Oct.1 you mention you are desireous of having procurd 50 bushls of Spring Barley. I have none by me at present, but if it can be procurd which I have no doubt of you may depend on its being sent you in time for sowing in the Spring. I should suppose 50 Bushls will be but a very small quantity if you have no Objection I will send you 100 Bushls and engage to take the produce of it. I believe that kind will answer this Climate, I procurd last Spring for Col. Lloyd Mr Bordley & some others some of the same but they have kept the whole produce, for sowing in the Spring.2
We should be willing to engage with you for 5000 Bushls Yearly at 5s. per Bushl this Currency if you find it will Answer your purpose, which I am confident it will from what I heard of the Fertility of your Land, I think they will turn out at least 35 bushls per Acre upon an average, which I think is more than any other Crop from the same Lands will produce; the Farmers here are troubled much in Cleaning the Barley for want of method. I will send you a small machine which will not Cost more than Ten shilling which will ⟨illegible⟩ & Clean in the hands of one man more than five could without such; should there be any Barley in your neighbourhood I shall be very glad to purchase it. Permit me to present my respectfull Compliments to Mrs Washington & ⟨subscribe⟩ myself with esteem & regard Your very humble Servant
Thos Peters
ALS, DLC:GW.
Thomas Peters came to Baltimore from Philadelphia at the end of the Revolution and built a brewery. He advertised on 3 Nov. 1786 in the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser: “GOOD BARLEY WANTED, For which a good Price will be given, at Thomas Peters and Co’s Brewery, On the lower End of Jones’s Falls, Baltimore.”
1. Letter not found.
2. John Beale Bordley and Edward Lloyd of Wye House, Talbot County, were among the leading planters of Maryland. For further correspondence with Peters about barley, see GW to Peters, 4 Dec. 1786, 20 Jan. 1787, 16 Sept. 1788, and Peters to GW, 3 Feb. 1787.