Daniel Jay

February 4, 1804 (age 62)

Fremont, New Hampshire, United States

He began his literary career at the age of twenty-six by publishing a monthly journal called The Naturalist. When only twenty-eight he published two books, Sylva Americana and Etymological Encyclopaedia of Technical Words and Phrases Used in the Arts and Sciences. The years 1833-35 he spent mostly in foreign travel in the West Indies, Cuba, Canary Islands, Spain, France, Sicily, Madeira, Cape Verde Islands and South America, being part of the time on the United States ships Vandalia and Erie. During 1836-42 he was engaged in various engineering projects in New York State and Cuba. For the next few years his time was largely devoted to his literary work. He served at this time as the first corresponding secretary of the American Agricultural Association and as a member of the Board of Agriculture of the American Institute in New York. From 1845 to 1851 he was employed in the agricultural warehouse of R. L. Allen & Company, New York, and assisted in the editing of their paper, the American Agriculturalist. During this period he also published four books, Trees of America (1846), American Bird Fancier (1850), American Poultry Yard (1850), and American Muck Book (1851). In 1852 he was appointed to a position in the United States Census Office where he was chiefly occupied with agricultural statistics. In June 1853 he was appointed as Agricultural Clerk in the United States Patent Office. He edited the agricultural reports of that office for 1854 to 1859 and prepared numerous articles. In 1854 and 1855 he was sent to Europe by the Patent Office to obtain information on agricultural subjects and to make arrangements for procuring seeds and cuttings, probably the first instances of the use of government funds for such purposes. During his later years in the Patent Office his activities, particularly in the distribution of seeds, were the subject of much controversy and criticism in the agricultural press. The complaints reached the Agricultural Committee of the House of Representatives, which instituted an investigation. The results were published in the Washington Union for June 8, 1858, and reprinted as a separate pamphlet entitled Vindication of the Agricultural Division of the Patent Office. (This pamphlet contains practically the only available biographical information regarding Browne. ) Nevertheless the criticism of his administration and of the seed distribution continued, and later resulted in the appointment by the Secretary of the Interior of an "Advisory Board of Agriculture of the Patent Office, " of which Marshall P. Wilder was chairman. The Board approved the general plan of operations of the Patent Office but Browne's appointment was terminated on October 10, 1859, due probably to the criticism which was leveled against him. On May 1, 1861, he was appointed by the Patent Office to visit Europe to investigate the cultivation and manufacture of flax. The results of his investigations are given as the leading article in the Patent Office Report for 1861. This is the last contribution from his pen which has been found. Whatever errors he may have committed, the fair-minded critics of his day seemed to believe that he was sincerely and earnestly devoted to the advancement of the agricultural interests of the country. Much of the most bitter criticism against him emanated from persons connected with the seed business and naturally opposed to government seed distribution. Other critics were those opposed to any national agricultural department.

Back to Profile

Photos
Works

book

The Naturalist, Volume 1 (Afrikaans Edition)

( This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923....)

The American bird fancier;

(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

The American Muck Book: Treating Of The Nature, Properties, Sources, History, And Operations Of All The Principal Fertilisers And Manures In Common ... And Application To The Soil And To Crops

(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

The American Poultry Yard: COmprising the Origin, History and Description of the Different Breeds of Domestic Poultry with Complete Directions for their Breeding, Corossing, Rearing, Fattening..

(The American Poultry Yard Comprising the Origin, History ...)

Letters from the Canary Islands (Classic Reprint)

(Excerpt from Letters From the Canary Islands Nor is the...)

The Trees of America: Native and Foreign, Pictorially and Botanically Delineated, and Scientifically and Popularly Described. Illustrated by Numerous Engravings

( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

The Field Book Of Manures: Or The American Muck Book (1858)

(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

The American Farm Book: Or Compend of American Agriculture; Being a Practical Treatise On Soils, Manures, Draining, Irrigation, Grasses, Grain, Roots, Fruits ...

(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

The Hasty-Pudding

(The hasty-pudding. A poem, in three cantos. Written at Ch...)

The etymological encyclopedia

(The etymological encyclopedia of technical words and phra...)

The Sylva Americana

The American Poultry Yard: Comprising the Origin, History, and Description of the Different Breeds of Domestic Poultry, with Complete Directions for Their ... Caponising Fowls, and for the Treatment...

(This is a reproduction of a classic text optimised for ki...)

The Etymological Encyclopaedia of Technical Words and Phrases: Used in the Arts and Sciences, and of Many Words in Common Use, with Popular Quotations ... Their Translations. from the Best Authorities

(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

Daniel Browne Jay

Edit Profile

farmer writer

Background

Daniel Jay Browne was born on December 4, 1804 in Fremont, New Hampshire, the son of Isaac and Mary Browne.

Education

Daniel Browne was bred and educated a practical farmer. It is not known what schools he attended except that he took some courses at Harvard University.

Career

He began his literary career at the age of twenty-six by publishing a monthly journal called The Naturalist. When only twenty-eight he published two books, Sylva Americana and Etymological Encyclopaedia of Technical Words and Phrases Used in the Arts and Sciences.

The years 1833-35 he spent mostly in foreign travel in the West Indies, Cuba, Canary Islands, Spain, France, Sicily, Madeira, Cape Verde Islands and South America, being part of the time on the United States ships Vandalia and Erie.

During 1836-42 he was engaged in various engineering projects in New York State and Cuba. For the next few years his time was largely devoted to his literary work. He served at this time as the first corresponding secretary of the American Agricultural Association and as a member of the Board of Agriculture of the American Institute in New York.

From 1845 to 1851 he was employed in the agricultural warehouse of R. L. Allen & Company, New York, and assisted in the editing of their paper, the American Agriculturalist. During this period he also published four books, Trees of America (1846), American Bird Fancier (1850), American Poultry Yard (1850), and American Muck Book (1851). In 1852 he was appointed to a position in the United States Census Office where he was chiefly occupied with agricultural statistics.

In June 1853 he was appointed as Agricultural Clerk in the United States Patent Office. He edited the agricultural reports of that office for 1854 to 1859 and prepared numerous articles.

In 1854 and 1855 he was sent to Europe by the Patent Office to obtain information on agricultural subjects and to make arrangements for procuring seeds and cuttings, probably the first instances of the use of government funds for such purposes.

During his later years in the Patent Office his activities, particularly in the distribution of seeds, were the subject of much controversy and criticism in the agricultural press. The complaints reached the Agricultural Committee of the House of Representatives, which instituted an investigation. The results were published in the Washington Union for June 8, 1858, and reprinted as a separate pamphlet entitled Vindication of the Agricultural Division of the Patent Office. (This pamphlet contains practically the only available biographical information regarding Browne. )

Nevertheless the criticism of his administration and of the seed distribution continued, and later resulted in the appointment by the Secretary of the Interior of an "Advisory Board of Agriculture of the Patent Office, " of which Marshall P. Wilder was chairman. The Board approved the general plan of operations of the Patent Office but Browne's appointment was terminated on October 10, 1859, due probably to the criticism which was leveled against him.

On May 1, 1861, he was appointed by the Patent Office to visit Europe to investigate the cultivation and manufacture of flax. The results of his investigations are given as the leading article in the Patent Office Report for 1861. This is the last contribution from his pen which has been found. Whatever errors he may have committed, the fair-minded critics of his day seemed to believe that he was sincerely and earnestly devoted to the advancement of the agricultural interests of the country.

Much of the most bitter criticism against him emanated from persons connected with the seed business and naturally opposed to government seed distribution. Other critics were those opposed to any national agricultural department.

Achievements

Daniel Browne was regarded as the first official United States agricultural explorer. Browne's literary productions were mostly compilations but nevertheless useful in their day, particularly the agricultural books, each of which ran through two or more editions. The list of his published books include Trees of America (1846), American Bird Fancier (1850), American Poultry Yard (1850), and American Muck Book (1851).