On July 1, 1793, in a letter to George Logan, Jefferson consulted him as to which of Young’s works to buy: “ Mr. Young’s writings are so voluminous, one cannot think of buying the whole. which of them must one buy, in order to have every thing useful which he has written? for it is apprehended that many of his volumes are mere repetitions of what is to be found in the others. ”

Several years later, on June 24, 1813, Jefferson gave an order to Dufief for: “Young’s Experiments in Agriculture. ( I think it is in 3. vols. 8 ^vo. )”

Dufief was unable to obtain a copy, and on July 10 wrote to Jefferson: “. . . Je puis vous procurer les ouvrages suivans d’Young “ The Farmer’s tour through the East of England, containing the accounts of above five hundred original experiments &c. 4 vol. 8 ^vo. London.
Young’s Northern tour containing the register of many curious and useful experiments in Agriculture. 4 vol 8 ^vo. London.
The Farmer’s calendar. 8 ^th. edition. London.
Six weeks tour through the Southern counties of England and Wales. London (second hand). 8 ^vo.
Young’s France. 2 vl. 8 ^vo. Dublin.”

The last named is the only one of this list in the Jefferson collection.

Jefferson’s acquaintance with the Course of Experimental Agriculture was made through W. C. Nicholas, to whom, in his letter regarding agricultural books for the Library of Congress, Jefferson wrote on December 16, 1809: “ Young’s experimental agriculture which I have not, but had the benefit of reading your copy . . .”

The appended list includes: “ Young’s works. I am not acquainted with the mass of them. I believe they amount to 70. or 80. vol( ^~s ). I think Congress should possess the whole. if a selection is to be made, I can speak only of the following from my own knolege.

Young’s rural economy. 8 vo.

farmer’s guide. 8 vo.

course of Experimental agriculture. 3. v. 8 vo.

travels. 2. v. 8 vo.

Jefferson frequently mentions Young and his works in his letters to George Washington, George Logan, Tristram Dalton and other agriculturalists.

With regard to the Rural Socrates of Kliyogg or Gouyer, called for in Jefferson’s manuscript catalogue, but not sold to Congress in 1815, Jefferson had a copy of the edition by Benjamin Vaughan from the London edition of Arthur Young’s translation, printed at Hallowell (District of Maine) by Peter Edes in 1800.

This was sent to Jefferson by John Vaughan, the brother of Benjamin, with a letter dated from Philadelphia, November 10, 1801. Benjamin Vaughan’s editorship of this work has been questioned by bibliographers, but John Vaughan’s letter to Jefferson makes the matter quite clear: “I have the pleasure of sending you, by Directions of my Brother, a Copy of the Rural Socrates or Philosophic Farmer--You must be well acquainted with his Character, but will not have yet seen so full an acc ^t. of him--The Importance of the knowledge & Principles detailed in this Book, makes my brother & myself desirous it should Circulate, it will be flattering to him to learn it meets with your approbation.”

A postscript reads: “Altho’ my brother superintended the Publication he has avoided letting it be generally known, & has no kind of interest in the Circulation, except his desire of promoting Useful knowledge.”

Jefferson reported an edition of the Rural Socrates to be missing at the time of the sale of his library to Congress. His description of the book to Milligan, in a letter of March 28, 1815, leaves it doubtful as to whether his reference was to Vaughan’s separate edition: