Marquess of Blandford's [George Spencer-Churchill] collections will be "more worth seeing that any private collection in this country", discusses Blandford's enthusiasm for botany. Blandford has sixteen men working in his botanic garden. Mentions Blandford having written the "History of the 'Nymphae lotus'" in last number of [Henry Charles] Andrews' "Botanists' Repository", figured from his aquarium where it flowered for first time in England. 'Dammera' arrived at Kew with "the China treasures". Received 500 species of dried plants from Cape [of Good Hope] including sixty-one 'Protea', and capsules of 'Ochroma lagopus' from island of Nevis, from which he has raised thirteen plants, [William Townsend] Aiton is anxious to have it at Kew. "Little John from Van Diemen Land [Tasmania]" has a cargo for him. Asks after "the British Garden" and "Flora Graeca".

On receipt of the last number of "Flora Britannica" was reminded of a lichen on Exmouth Warren resembling 'Lichen prunastri' but growing on the ground; encloses fragments of 'Lichen stictoceros' [Smith has annotated "right" in the margin]. His brother, Lieutenant Colonel of the North York Militia, will frank any botanical correspondence for Smith.

Flattered at having a plant named in his honour but prefers Blandford to be used over Spencer.