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His design for the State House at Richmond set the architectural 

 pattern for public buildings in America for over a century. His 

 beloved Monticello and the famous quadrangle at the University of 

 Virginia are likewise notable contributions to American architecture. 



Reference has already been made to the agricultural antecedents 

 of Jefferson's genius. As a farmer he sought to make Monticello and 

 his other landholdings profitable as well as self-sufficient. This 

 fact, together with his scientific inclinations, resulted in Monti- 

 cello's becoming a progressive experimental farm where nev/ machinery, 

 new methods, and new crops were tried out. Over a long period he 

 grew as many as thirty-two different vegetables at Monticello, and 

 he attempted to adapt, domesticate, or acclimatize literally scores of 

 plants, shrubs, and trees. In some cases he succeeded; in others, he 

 failed. 



Jefferson also applied his scientific knowledge and ability to 

 the problems of improving farm machinery. In this field of activity, 

 his chief contribution v/as a design for an all-metal plow with a 

 mould board that turned the soil effectively, Shaped according to 

 mathematical computations, the mould board had the least possible 

 resistance. Unfortunately the smiths who made the plows of those 

 days did not follow Jefferson's specifications. Jefferson also de- 

 veloped other farm devices, including a seed drill, a hemp brake, and 

 improvements on a threshing machine. No less than three hundred and 

 twenty-five of the extant personal letters to friends and acquaint- 

 ances deal primarily with agricultural matters, and these, together 

 with his "Farm Book" and "Garden Book" afford ample testimony of his 

 eminence as a statesman in the field of agriculture. 



To Jefferson, agriculture was more than an occupation; it was 

 a way of life. In his belief, it developed social virtues that were 

 peculiar to tillers of the soil — virtues that were basic in the 

 life of any great nation. Agriculture was the basis of his philosophy 

 and the source of his strength. - Everett E. Edwards. 



