JB/012/083/001

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1822 June 5
J.B. to Dr Foley (attached to Liberator Bolivar)

2

Should the inexpressibly useful and truly supremely glorious
the Junction be endeavoured to be realized, fail not to remember
how irresistible the claim is which it has upon you for
your care. Embrace the most favorable moment
for the endeavour to representing to the for impressing the our
Liberator with the persuasion which it

this namely that, within a given space of time a hundred
living workmen will do more work than a hundred thousand
dead ones. Of the difference in point of value between living and healthy men on
the one hand, and dead or (what is worse) helpless on the other, great men in
general, and military men in particular, are but too apt
not to be altogether so acutely or constantly sensible as could be wished

If I did not misunderstand Echeverria, Bogota, before the late
contest, contained a Botanic Garden, but, in the course
of the contest it was unhappily demolished. The reestablishment
of it — is it not among the exploits that call upon
you for the performance? With us not in the first place
the establishment, and at all times the maintenance, of a
Botanic Garden is an affair of considerable expence: with us
here I mean, where not men only, but plants of a certain class must
have houses to live in and great coats as well as fires
to keep them warm. N.B. it is by steam this will be
done in future. I have seen it this means employed in the Kings Hot-houses more places
there are: it succeeds to perfection. But, with you plants
need no such things. You have in perfection whatsoever
is most beautiful in that way, and most delicious, in all climates

At different times I have heard much of a sort of root,
of which I can not at present recollect the name, as being cultivated
at Bogota and elsewhere in Columbia: aranca or araucana
or something between both: a tuberous root in form that [+]
[+]1 that of the conical
form of a carrot or
parsnip reversed (if
true a very strange one:)
: vying with the potatoe in productiveness and surpassing
it in sweetness. Perhaps the account is wholly fabulous or it was
exaggerated. Not long ago a false report of this sort inserted in the Monthly Magazine (a foolishly mischievous joke for the punishment of benevolence) cost me and some friends of mine I know not how many days labour
in working in different parts of the kingdom before the falshood was discovered. IF this happens — potatoes not fabulous send me in stacks seeds and for sample
and greater security roots besides, together with the botanical characters. We will
denominate it Foleyii and your name shall live as long as Botany lives.[+]2

[+] Yours gratefully
but eventually
Jeremy Bentham.

Identifier: | JB/012/083/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 12.
Date_1	1822-06-05	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	012	Main Headings
Folio number	083	Info in main headings field	jb to dr foley attached to liberator bolivar
Image	001	Titles
Category	correspondence	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	e2
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public	letter 2890, vol. 11	ID Number	4144
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