第72章

Th：Jeffersonpresentshisrespectfulsalutationstomrs。

Smith，andsendshertheGeraniumsheexpressedawillingnesstoreceive。itisinverybadcondition，havingbeenneglectedlatterly，asnotintendedtoberemoved。hecannotgiveithispartingblessingmoreeffectuallythanbyconsigningittothenourishinghandofmrs。

Smith。Ifplantshavesensibility，astheanalogyoftheirorganisationwithoursseemstoindicate，itcannotbutbeproudlysensibleofherfosteringattentions。ofhisregretsatpartingwiththesocietyofWashington，averysensibleportionattachestomrs。

Smith，whosefriendshiphehasparticularlyvalued。herpromisetovisitMonticelloissomeconsolation；andhecanassurehershewillbereceivedwithopenarmsandheartsbythewholefamily。heprayshertoacceptthehomageofhisaffectionateattachmentandrespect。

THEPOTATOANDHARPER’SFERRY

_ToHoratioG。Spafford_

_Monticello，May14，1809_

SIR，——IhavedulyreceivedyourfavorofApril3d，withthecopyofyour”GeneralGeography，”forwhichIprayyoutoacceptmythanks。Myoccupationsherehavenotpermittedmetoreaditthrough，whichalonecouldjustifyanyjudgmentexpressedonthework。Indeed，asitappearstobeanabridgmentofseveralbranchesofscience，thescaleofabridgmentmustenterintothatjudgment。

Differentreadersrequiredifferentscalesaccordingtothetimetheycanspare，andtheirviewsinreading，andnodoubtthattheviewofthescienceswhichyouhavebroughtintothecompassofa12movolumewillbeaccommodatedtothetimeandobjectofmanywhomaywishforbutaverygeneralviewofthemInpassingmyeyerapidlyoverpartsofthebook，Iwasstruckwithtwopassages，onwhichIwillmakeobservations，notdoubtingyourwish，inanyfutureedition，torendertheworkascorrectasyoucan。Inpage186yousaythepotatoeisanativeoftheUnitedStates。IpresumeyouspeakoftheIrishpotatoe。Ihaveinquiredmuchintothequestion，andthinkIcanassureyouthatplantisnotanativeofNorthAmerica。Zimmerman，inhis”GeographicalZoology，”

saysitisanativeofGuiana；andClavigero，thattheMexicansgotitfromSouthAmerica，_itsnativecountry。_ThemostprobableaccountIhavebeenabletocollectis，thatavesselofSirWalterRaleigh’s，returningfromGuiana，putintothewestofIrelandindistress，havingonboardsomepotatoeswhichtheycalledearth-apples。Thattheseasonoftheyear，andcircumstanceoftheirbeingalreadysprouted，inducedthemtogivethemalloutthere，andtheywerenomoreheardorthoughtof，tilltheyhadbeenspreadconsiderablyintothatisland，whencetheywerecarriedoverintoEngland，andthereforecalledtheIrishpotatoe。FromEnglandtheycametotheUnitedStates，bringingtheirnamewiththem。

TheotherpassagerespectsthedescriptionofthepassageofthePotomacthroughtheBlueRidge，intheNotesonVirginia。YouquotefromVolney’saccountoftheUnitedStateswhathiswordsdonotjustify。Hiswordsare，”oncomingfromFredericktown，onedoesnotseetherichperspectivementionedintheNotesofMr。Jefferson。

Onobservingthistohimafewdaysafter，heinformedmehehadhisinformationfromaFrenchengineerwho，duringthewarofIndependence，ascendedtheheightofthehills，andIconceivethatatthatelevationtheperspectivemustbeasimposingasawildcountry，whosehorizonhasnoobstacles，maypresent。”Thatthescenedescribedinthe”Notes”isnotvisiblefromanypartoftheroadfromFredericktowntoHarper’sferryismostcertain。Thatroadpassesalongthevalley，norcanitbeseenfromthetavernaftercrossingtheferry；andwemayfairlyinferthatMr。Volneydidnotascendtheheightbackofthetavernfromwhichaloneitcanbeseen，butthathepursuedhisjourneyfromthetavernalongthehighroad。

Yetheadmits，thatattheelevationofthatheighttheperspectivemaybeasrichasawildcountrycanpresent。Butyoumakehim”surprisedtofind，_byaviewofthespot_，thatthedescriptionwas_amazinglyexaggerated。_”ButitisevidentthatMr。Volneydidnotascendthehillto_getaviewofthespot_，andthathesupposedthatthatheightmaypresentasimposingaviewassuchaco