Estimated friend

March 27 1744

I have long expected a letter from thy hands having received none since that sent by thy son which I answer to him, dear friend, this reply or misfortune should be very glad to hear of letter from thee by letter. I have here sent thee one of our proposals for forming of Philosophical Society, we have already had the meetings & several learned & curious persons from our neighbouring colonies, which have already given memberships with us & we hope thee will please to do us a favor to be our number, & hope this undertaking may be of public benefit to our American Colonies, if we act with diligent application in this affair.

A letter from London this winter, but I have learned & curiousley man from Bristol, sent me of long catalogue of his garden furniture which did really please me.

My respects to thy dear spouse & children & assure thy self of a friendship & service of thy sincere friend John Bartram in his

A PROPOSAL for Promoting
USEFUL KNOWLEDGE among the
British Plantations in America.

THE English are poffes'd of a long Tract of Continent, from Nova Scotia to Georgia, extending North and South thro' different Climates, having different Soils, producing different Plants, Mines and Minerals, and capable of different Improvements, Manufactures, &c.

The first Drudgery of Settling new Colonies, which confines the Attention of People to mere Neceflaries, is now pretty well over; and there are many in every Province in Circumftances that fet them at Eafe, and afford Leifure to cultivate the finer Arts, and improve the common Stock of Knowledge. To fuch of thefe who are Men of Speculation, many Hints muft from time to time arife, many Obfervations occur, which if well-examined, purfued and improved, might produce Difcoveries to the Advantage of fome or all of the British Plantations, or to the Benefit of Mankind in general.

But as from the Extent of the Country, fuch Perfons are widely separated, and feldom can fee and converfe, or be acquainted with each other, so that many ufulef Particulars remain uncommunicated, die with the Difcoverers, and are loft to Mankind; it is, to remedy this Inconvenience for the future, proposed,

That One Society be formed of Virtuofi or ingenious Men refiding in the feveral Colonies, to be called The American Philosophical Society, who are to maintain a conftant Correspondence.

That Philadelphia being the City neareft the Centre of the Continent-Colonies, communicating with all of them northward and fouthward by Poft, and with all the Ilands by Sea, and having the Advantage of a good growing Library, be the Centre of the Society.

That at Philadelphia there be always at leaft feven Members, viz.: a Phyfician, a Botanift, a Mathematician, a Chemift, a Mechanician, a Geographer, and a general Natural Philofopher, befides a Prefident, Treasurer and Secretary.

That thefe Members meet once a Month, or oftner, at their own Expence; to communicate to each other their Obfervations, Experiments, &c. to receive, read, and confider fuch Letters, Communications, or Queries as shall be fent from diffant Members; to direct the Difperſing of Copies of fuch Communications as are valuable, to other diffant Members, in order to procure their Sentiments thereupon, &c.

That the Subjects of the Correspondence be, All new-difcovered Plants, Herbs, Trees, Roots, &c. their Virtues, Ufes, &c.; Methods of Propagating them, and making fuch as are ufulef, but particular to fome Plantations, more general, Improvements of vegetable Juices, as Cyders, Wines, &c.; New Methods of Curing or Preventing Difeafes. All new-difcovered Foffils in different Countries, as Mines, Minerals, Quarries; &c. New and ufulef Improvements in any Branch of Mathematicks; New Difcoveries in Chemistry, fuch as Improvements in Diftillation, Brewing, Aflaying of Ores; &c. New Mechanical Inventions for faving Labour; as Mills, Carriages, &c. and for Raifing and Conveying of Water, Draining of Meadows, &c.; All new

new Arts, Trades, Manufactures, &c. that may be proposed or thought of; Surveys, Maps and Charts of particular Parts of the Sea-coasts, or Inland Countries; Course and Junction of Rivers and great Roads, Situation of Lakes and Mountains, Nature of the Soil and Productions; &c. New Methods of Improving the Breed of useful Animals; Introducing other Sorts from foreign Countries. New Improvements in Planting, Gardening, Clearing Land, &c.; And all philosophical Experiments that let Light into the Nature of Things, tend to increase the Power of Man over Matter, and multiply the Conveniencies or Pleasures of Life.

That a Correspondence already begun by some intended Members, shall be kept up by this Society with the ROYAL SOCIETY of London, and with the DUBLIN SOCIETY.

That every Member shall have Abstracts sent him Quarterly, of every Thing valuable communicated to the Society's Secretary at Philadelphia; free of all Charge except the Yearly Payment hereafter mentioned.

That, by Permission of the Poftmafter-General, such Communications paffs between the Secretary of the Society and the Members, Poffage-free.

That, for defraying the Expence of such Experiments as the Society shall judge proper to caufe to be made, and other contingent Charges for the common Good, every Member ſend a Piece of Eight per Annum to the Treafurer, at Philadelphia, to form a Common Stock, to be diſburs'd by Order of the Přediment with the Conſent of the Majority of the Members that can conveniently be confulted thereupon, to ſuch Perſons and Places where and by whom the Experiments are to be made, and otherwife as there ſhall be Occafion; of which Diſburſements an exact Account ſhall be kept, and communicated yearly to every Member.

That at the first Meetings of the Members at Philadelphia, ſuch Rules be formed for Regulating their Meetings and Tranfactions for the General Benefit, as ſhall be convenient and neceſſary; to be afterwards changed and improved as there ſhall be Occafion, wherein due Regard is to be had to the Advice of diſtant Members.

That at the End of every Year, Collections be made and printed, of ſuch Experiments, Discoveries, Improvements, &c. as may be thought of publick Advantage; And that every Member have a Copy ſent him.

That the Bufineſs and Duty of the Secretary be, To receive all Letters intended for the Society, and lay them before the Přediment and Members at their Meetings; to abſtract, correct and methodize ſuch Papers, &c. as require it, and as he ſhall be directed to do by the Přediment, after they have been confidered, debated, and digeſted in the Society; to enter Copies thereof in the Society's Books, and make out Copies for diſtant Members; to anſwer their Letters by Direction of the Přediment, and keep Records of all material Tranfactions of the Society.

Benjamin Franklin, the Writer of this Propofal, offers himſelf to ſerve the Society as their Secretary, 'till they ſhall be provided with one more capable, Philadelphia, May 14, 1743.