From:
Joseph Banks
To:
Edward Home
Date:
22 October 1805
Source of text:
MM/6/26, Royal Society
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Royal Society
No summary available.
Urges Smith to reread his last letter [not extant] where Smith will find that Banks did not draw parallels between Smith and [Richard] Salisbury. Had Banks known how deep the quarrel between Smith and Salisbury had become he would never have undertaken the "hopeless task" of effecting a reconciliation, and now relinquishes it. Refers Smith to his advice in last letter, viz to refrain from personal altercations but by no means avoid potential discussion. Remarks that whilst he does not "feel the esteem for Salisbury [he] once did" he does not "despise his indefatigable industry".
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Unable to give Mr Patterson any information regarding the state of George III's flock of merino sheep. Had recommended to the King [George III (1738-1820)] for a ram to be sold for 25 guineas, a "fine wooled sheep". The King's flock of the negretti strain of Spain, "finer than the original flock". One ram castrated this year because of a few "king hairs" in his wool but has not had one other sheep that did not pass the judgement of the wool-stapler, who annually examines each sheep.
Friendly criticism of Smith's book; wonders whether he relied too much on [Erasmus] Darwin who was "too poetical to be correct" and [William] Forsyth who was "too cunning" to be quite so pure as Smith supposes him. Pleased to hear that the second fasiculum of "Flora Graeca" is to be printed soon. Genus 'Silene' has always been obscure and remarks on this subject will be welcome.
Assures Smith that he does not think ill of him if they differ in opinion. Relates a series of experiments with peach, cherry and pear trees for investigating [William] Forsyth's claim for regenerating old trees with his "plaster", at the request of George III. Asks whether in the Norfolk dialect a turkey's nest is called her "rip".
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Satisfied that the toad Smith has encountered is the 'Bufo terrestus' of [August Johann] Rösel [von Rosenhof] and the natterjack of Banks' neighbourhood in Lincolnshire. Describes some of its habits and large population on Putney Common and at Wimbledon. [Thomas] Pennant hated toads so much that "he shrunk even from a picture of one". Would be glad if Mrs Smith continues supplying turkeys. Has received a letter from Nottingham, stating that the ['Grauis'?] on the banks of the Trent are only autumnal flowering because the cattle eat them down in the Spring, and that the true saffron crocus is abundundant in the same place.
Sends roots and runners of a grass called 'Fiorin' which [William] Richardson has written on with intention of making it a valuable animal foodstock, suspects it may be 'Agrostis stolonifera'. Has been bound to his bedroom since beginning of January. A vast fish, 55 feet [16.7m] long and 12 feet [3.7m] in circumference, that was washed up on the Orkney Islands is a cartilaginous fish and not a whale, as was supposed.
Has resigned management of the King's [George III (1738-1820)] merino flock due to ill health. Only way Banks knows of obtaining the sheep is at the King's sale.
Thanks Smith for turkeys. Grateful for assistance Smith has given to Mr Home. Postscript of a short Christmas poem by Thomas Tusser, taken from Tusser's "Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry", remarks that it was first printed in 1557.