TALBOT6425

Burlington Hotel
30 May

My dear Henry

I have get some seeds from Portugal which seem to be of interesting & perhaps pretty species – I wanted to send them to you but do not know where to find you as I believe you are not at Barrow House ¹ – tho’ I hear you are in the Lakes some where – not deep I hope.

Can I send them with prospect of due attention being paid to them, to your Gardner at Lacock? The season is in their favour.

I am here for some time I hope to see D^r Asa Gray ² & D^r Hooker fil. ³ the greatest Lions of Botany at present.

Abbotsbury ⁴ was in great beauty you would have seen many interesting flowers – the shrubs &c look better late in the year when perhaps you may come.

I had 6 or 7 vars – of Nar. Poeticum in blow – & I should like to know which you had found wild. 2 – of them db^le<.> I thinned half my saffron crocuses & had then more than I could well lift of their bulbs. I wish saffron bore a renumerating price. The myriads of figs this year are not to be counted my palms all lived thro & are shooting their green leaves again as well as some tender ferns. I find the southern shrubby compositæ make excellent ever greens, as well as 2 or 3 Coprosmas.

My greatest novelty was a new Arbutus – mollis. w^h flowered most abundantly. I am to exhibit some great Mesembs: the 7. June – more than 150 flowers were out or promising the other day – besides the great yellow. The Eucalyptus is now 2 f^t 9ⁱⁿ round 1 f^t ½ – above the ground, & near 20 f^t high.

Do you know Hookers Flora Antarctica ⁵ – what interesting plants from the Auckland Isles I hope we shall get them.

Emma ⁶ & Charry ⁷ are here, good accounts of Jane ⁸ –

Y^rs
W H F S