From George Washington to Clement Biddle, 1 February 1799
To Clement Biddle
Mount Vernon 1st Feb. 1799
Dear Sir,
Your letter of the 27th Ulto was received last Night.1 As the whole quantity of Blue-grass seed was purchased before my last letter to you got to hand, it may be sent on without diminution.
Let it be accompanied, if to be had fresh and good, with twelve pounds of White clover seed; and the like quantity of Lucern. You will remark how pointed I am with respect to the goodness & quality of the seeds I buy—the reason is, that no imposition upon a Farmer is felt so sorely as that of foul, & defective seeds; because it deranges a whole system, besides occasioning the loss of a year in his plans.2
If Captn Ellwood would heave to when off my house; or send a Boat ashore, which would be more certain, I would send off my Boat wch would bring the Book cases without delay.3 I am—Dr Sir Yr Obedt
Go: Washington
ALS, PHi: Washington-Biddle Correspondence; ALS (letterpress copy), DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.
1. Letter not found.
2. GW wrote to Biddle on 20 Jan. asking him to buy grass seed and on 29 Jan. sent him instructions (printed in a note to GW’s letter of 20 Jan.) to buy a smaller amount of seed. Biddle sent the seed on 5 Feb. (Biddle to GW, 5 February).
3. The ice in the river at Philadelphia prevented Biddle from sending the clover and lucerne grass seed, among other things, until March. See GW to Biddle, 18 Feb., 17 Mar., 21, 28 April, and Biddle to GW, 11 April.