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I shall now conclude as I began, with a desire, that if you see 

 any impropriety in making these sentiments known to that class of 

 people who might wish to avail themselves of the occasion, that it may 

 not be mentioned. By a law, or by some regulation of your government, 

 artisans, I am well aware, are laid under restraints; and, for this 

 reason, I have studiously avoided any overtures to mechanics, although 

 my occasions called for them. But never having heard that difficul- 

 ties were thrown in the way of husbandmen by the government, is one 

 reason for my bringing this matter to your view. A second is, that 

 having yourself expressed sentiments which showed that you ^a<;^-icast 

 an eye towards this country, and was not inattentive to the^welfare 

 of it, I was led to make my intentions known to you, that if you, or 

 your friends, were disposed to avail yourselves of the knowledge, you 

 might take prompt measures for the execution. And, 3dly, I was sure, 

 if you had lost sight of the object yourself, I could, nevertheless,^' 

 rely upon such information as you might see fit to give me, and upon 

 such characters, too, as you might te disposed to recommend. 



Lengthy as this espistle is, I will crave your patience while I 

 add, that it is written in too much haste, and under too great a pres- 

 sure of public business, at the commencement of an important session 

 of Congress, to be correct, or properly digested. But the season of 

 the year, and the apprehension of ice, are hurrying away the last 

 vessel bound from this port to London. I am driven, therefore, to the 

 alternative of making the matter known in this hasty manner, and giving 

 a rude sketch of the farms, which is the subject of it; or to encounter 

 delay — the first I preferred. It can hardly be necessary to add, that 

 I have no desire that any formal promulgation of these sentiments 

 should be madeJ^^a, - Letters on Ag riculture from His Excellency George 

 Washington ... edited by Franklin Knight, p. 114-122 (Washington, D.C., 1847). 



