TALBOT790

Petersburg
Feb ⁴/₁₆ 1818 –

My dear Henry

In spite of your obstinate silence I cannot help writing to let you know how the concerns of Botany go on – you must know then I am just come from the Baron de Vietinghoff, ¹ he has been shewing me views he made about the Caucasus & a hortus Sic. Cauc. ² which is perfect, for management, siccation & all. I particularly coveted Campanula saxifraga & Merendera – Scorzonera eriosperma, Hedysarum pilosum, Astragalus calycinus & many others. He has still many more to shew me & has promised to shew me his Botanical Collection if I go to see him in Livonia³ where he has a fine place to judge by the views be shewd me – a lake & old castle on an islet. I have [illegible deletion] made interest for some but as it is only on the score of sending them to Oxford or some public place I fear you will get none. I doubt if I may keep any for myself. I am lately elected a member of the Soc. Hist. Nat. at Moscow & Soc. Min. at Peter ⁴ there is a great Botanist who lives at Gorinka near Moscow & overlooks Count something Razoumofsky’s ⁵ Garden – D^r Fischer. ⁶ I dare say you know him by name. I made a very small acquaintance with him unfortunately. I have bought Gmelini Flora Sibirica ⁷ for 30^s 4 vols. 4to & Ammani Icones Plant. R. for 5^s 1 vol. 4to Liboschitz Flore de P et de M. ⁸ – 5^s 1 vol. 4to & hope ere long to possess Flora Rossica ⁹ & Flora Caucasica ¹⁰ of which latter a second vol. will appear shortly. Does the Botanic Garden at Cambridge answer your expectations? the Bavarian Minister here is a great Botanist & I am in hopes to get some seeds of his Livonian discoveries.¹¹ I want very much to get some seeds of the Mimosa Stephaniana but cannot do you know it & Gypsophila paniculata. M. de Vietinghoff having been in those parts himself is a valuable acquaintance all his collections are of his own finding & arranged with printed tickets synonyms & localities. If you could send me a grain or two of some thing raw or a dried specimen or so in a Letter it w^d go a great way towards eliciting some more. Most of these would stand out our winters if not all – certainly all N. of the Cauc. Is it the continuance, or the simple degree of cold if but for a minute that kills plants? or circumstances thereon attending as Wind, variation of temp. damp &c? Will not all plants of all countries [sur]vive ¹² any degree not below the f[rost point?] I should like to have a coldhouse as [well] as a hothouse to try such experiments. I observed the sugarcane banana &c at Gorinka in a temp of 8° Réaumur only – & looking the most healthy house of all – w^ch I attribute to its being better lit. Answer these queries I pray. Writemea longletterlikeareport [sic] of all botanical news you know

Y^r Aff^te
W T H F S

William H. F. Talbot Esq^re
31 Sackville Street
London