Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Bernard McMahon to Thomas Jefferson, 1 December 1812

From Bernard McMahon

Philadelphia 1st Decr 1812

Dear Sir,

I enclose you a small paper of the Agrostis stolonifera or Fiorin-grass, which I recd from the Edinburg Botanic Garden. This grass had been highly spoken of in that country, but I fear it will not prove equal to the report given of it, and I conceive that it grows wild about this City, whether indigenous or introduced I cannot say; however, next season I will have a fair comparison of the imported and aparently indigenous kinds, and I think both will turn out to be the same species.

I also do myself the pleasure of enclosing you some superior China Pink and Auricula seeds; the latter should be sown some time in this month, as directed in page 646 of my work on Gardening.

Wishing you all the happiness that human nature is capable of enjoying, I remain Sir.

Yours, with the greatest esteem,

Bernd McMahon

RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 17 Dec. 1812 and so recorded in SJL.

A section on “Sowing Auricula, Polyanthus, and Cyclamen seeds” in McMahon, Gardener’s Calendar description begins Bernard McMahon, The American Gardener’s Calendar; adapted to the Climates and Seasons of the United States, Philadelphia, 1806; repr. 1997; Sowerby, no. 810; Poor, Jefferson’s Library, 6 (no. 273) description ends , directs on page 646 that the seed be planted in “the last week of December, any time in January, or in the early part of February.”

Index Entries

  • auricula search
  • Edinburgh Botanic Garden; fiorin grass from search
  • fiorin grass; sent to TJ search
  • grass; fiorin search
  • McMahon, Bernard; letters from search
  • McMahon, Bernard; sends plants to TJ search
  • McMahon, Bernard; sends seeds to TJ search
  • McMahon, Bernard; The American Gardener’s Calendar search
  • pinks search