Series X. Historical Manuscripts, 1785 - 1922

This series is made up of several separate collections of agriculture-related materials from the late 18th through the early 20th centuries, gathered by USDA historians from a variety of sources. The creators of these materials were farmers, gardeners, scientists, USDA officials, business people and others, and the materials include diaries, letters, receipts, articles, publications, clippings, scrapbooks, pamphlets, record books, ledgers, broadsides, and certificates. The subject matter covers the daily activities, accounts, and records of farming, horticulture, livestock breeding, and other agricultural enterprises.

Collections of note in this series include letters to Humphry Marshall, a botanist and plant dealer who lived near Philadelphia in the late 18th century; approximately 50 years of pocket diaries of Charles Ballard, a Pennsylvania farmer; transcriptions of more than 30 years of diaries of the Loomis family, farmers in Michigan; and articles, booklets, letters and other material relating to Solomon Hoxie, a breeder and promoter of Holstein-Friesian cattle in the United States.

Most of the material is in English and of American origin, although there are a few British, French, and Dutch items.

Because of the irregular sizes of many of these items, they have been stored in a variety of archival containers. Container numbers have been noted at the end of the description of each item or collection.