Thanks for Smith's letter; pleased to hear he is to visit and gives directions for the most convenient route from Hereford. Coach details and places of interest on the route, including: Lord Maldon's house, Hampton Court, on way to Leominster, built in Henry IV's reign and with a "curious old picture of that king and a fine portrait of Lord Abergaveney"; his mother's house, Croft Castle, five miles on other side of Leominster, which has beautiful woods; Thebden Court, home of Lord Bateman, where there are some good pictures and a "fine statue of Mercury"; and Alderman Hadley has built a new house, Burrington, but he himself is not an admirer of Mr Holland's architecture. Ludlow one of prettiest towns he knows and recommends Smith take a day to see [Richard Payne] Knight's [(1750-1824), classicist] Downton Castle; Oakley Park is also pretty and near Ludlow, and there are magnificent view from the Bishop's Moat.

Sends leaves for identification from each of the plants he managed to grow from 5 of the 6 Sierra Leone seeds Smith sent last spring, and leaf of 'Stelitzia', the most thriving plant in his stove with habit quite different from Lady Rockingham's. new 'Ulva' found at Weymouth; elected FLS.

[Spec 23 written in pencil at head of verso of folio]

No summary available.

No summary available.

Describes his journey from Norwich to Wales, via Worcester, Ludlow, where he saw 'Inula helenium', Bishop's Castle, New Town, and Aberystwyth. Praises setting and interior of Johnes' house. Johnes' daughter, [Mariamne Johnes], "though not above 10 years of age has taken a wonderful turn for botany & entomology"; her skills. Disappointed by botany in Wales, observing only common plants of hilly, not alpine countries, and mosses and lichens chiefly of the tree kind: 'Lichen laetevirens', 'L. glomuliferus', 'L. scrobienlatus', 'L. sylvaticus', 'L. resupinatus', 'L. plumbens' all common, found one 'L. perlatus' in fructification, 'Hypericum dubium' lately observed near Worcester is one of the common things here, thinks it overlooked for 'H. perforatum'.

The Johnes' family are the "guardian angels of the country", and consequently not liked by the neighbouring gentry, "who want to keep up all the old tyrannic notions, & never think of other people's starving"; [Thomas] Johnes lately imported a ship-load of wheat from Bristol to sell at a loss. Harvest here and all over the country is "fine"; hop-grounds of Shropshire "are beautiful". Sends 'Hypericum dubium' and 'Gnaphalium' which he took to be the true 'H. sylvaticum' but must be 'H. rectum' of "English botany".

Following his stay at Hafod intends to visit Dr Parr at Llandilo and then his aunt and her grandchildren at Bath. Lack of limestone, chalk, or gravel here leaves the flora poor, with 'Solidago virgaurea', 'Serratula tinctoria', and 'Hypericum dubium' growing prodigiously. [Andrew] Caldwell disappointed of his Guernsey expedition. Johnes' expensive taste in literature.