America's Crop Heritage


pian, Persian barley, and Mammoth rye were distributed by Joel
Barlow to members of the Columbian Agricultural Society.
 The Albemarle Agricultural Society of Virginia, the best known
of these societies, may be considered as typical of such organizations
at that time. Among the thirty organizers in 1817 were Thomas
Jefferson, two later governors of Virginia, a future senator and
justice of the Supreme Court, and many statesmen, physicians,
lawyers, and farmers. Later, James Madison joined and was chosen
first president. Excerpts taken from the minutes of the society
show that shipments of seeds were frequently received from abroad
and distributed among the members for trial.
 The South Carolina Agricultural Society was the leader of the
interest in foreign plant introduction in that state. The society
appointed a committee to consider what beneficial effects would
accrue from the introduction of foreign seeds, plants, and imple-
ments of husbandry. In 1823 the committee pointed out that in
their state such profitable crops as rice, indigo, and cotton had
resulted from plant importation. Further introductions, they
felt, might produce new crops for sale as well as for provisions
and not merely for domestic consumption. The appointment of the
committee probably resulted from the general uneasiness over
a surplus of cotton, with resulting low prices for land and the
cotton crop.
 The Society thought that a new staple might be substituted for
 cotton, and a recommendation was made that a committee of three
 be appointed to introduce such seeds and plants as would be desig-
 nated by the society as of possible value for the state. This was to
 be done by corresponding with consuls of the United States and
 other persons in foreign lands and with officers of the Navy. An
 appropriation of $200 was to be made annually from the society
 funds to meet such expenses. The seeds and information acquired
 were to be distributed gratis to members.
 In New York, The Genessee Farmer of 1836 praised the farmers
 of Monroe County for presenting a petition to the New York
 legislature for an appropriation to aid a state agricultural insti-
 tution at the head of the county agricultural societies. The money
 was to be spent for premiums for agricultural products and for
 procuring useful seeds for public distribution.
 DR. HENRY PERRINE
 The history of tropical plant introduction during the second
 quarter of the nineteenth century is largely the story of Dr.