Explains difficulties of making Smith an advance payment for his work on "Flora Graeca", principally being fear of Smith's death and its consequences for completion of the work. He and [Thomas] Platt [(d 1842), one of John Sibthorp's executors, supervised the publication of "Flora Graeca"] hope the work can be finished in the next few years by borrowing money from University of Oxford and limiting the number of copies made. Asks Smith to supply list of all of Sibthorp's provincial floras, taken from Sibthorp's journals. Executor of will of Mr Jones of Chelsea gives Smith permission to inspect the collections he had expressed an interest in.

Hopes Smith's health is recovered, he and many others were disappointed he could not come to the last [Linnean Society][ anniversary meeting. He has been supervising [William] Baxter's [(1787-1871)], curator of the Botanic Garden, Oxford, "fasciculus of dried plants", about to be published.

He has procured many fungi specimens from Mr Gulliver of Banbury, of which he is sending a parcel. Compliments [Robert Kaye] Greville's work ["Scottish cryptogamic flora" (1823-1828)], and thinks the new genera 'Erineum', 'Acidium', 'Jaccinia', and 'Uredo' are well defined, but others including 'Xyloma' and 'Sclerotium' are "deficient in character".

Understands Smith is still sceptical regarding the Barberry bush being the cause of injury to wheat growing near it; has suggested to Greville it may be caused by "some peculiar modification of electricity" as the grain is always found shrivelled, as if scorched. Offers to send Smith further fungi specimens, including the "rarest", 'Batarrea phalloides'.

Recalls pleasure at gaining Smith's acquaintance at Cowes, [Isle of Wight], and sorrow at distance which prevents their meeting. Praises Smith's "English Flora" and his use of language, the 'Umbellate' plants "are surely now perfect". Passes on compliment from Mr P Duncan of New College, Oxford, on Smith's "Flora Britannica".

Apologises for long delay since receiving Smith's letter from Professor [Josef August] Schultes. Has been unable to find the 'Tilia' requested by Smith as he is too ill to go to the Stokenchurch area and it is not present in the Oxford Botanic Garden and there are no full specimens in Oxford herbaria. Describes another failed attempt to acquire it. The Botanic Garden has a plant of Mr Whitehead's 'Aconitum' but it is now too mature for Smith to obtain any information from a specimen.