To Thomas Martin 12 Oct 1855

My dear Sir,

Leaving Hitcham for the Liverpool meeting of the British Association on the day after our little Village fête – & having back work to attend to on my return, together with the fulfillment of an engagement to assist with specimens & voice at another Village Show a few miles off, during the past week – & now having come here to deposit my 2nd son in his quarters at Christs Coll, I have been somewhat tardy in acknowledging the receipt of pretty border to a Ticket of Merit you were so good as to send me – I have unluckily ordered (before I got it) something of the sort as I should have asked you whether I could not purchase some of these – I think the pasteboard rather too thin – (the specimen was crumpled & spoilt for use) & I rather fear the colours wd fade in our smoky cottages– I mean to distribute more than one annually for “superior allotment culture” – I have a neat plate (wood cut) of a baptismal service with a certificate of baptism appended, which finds its way into the cottages, & some have several on their walls– also a plate for our Ploughing match society – of which one man has 5 on his walls – but the apathy of the farmers has allowed this encouraging practice to fail for the last 2 years – tho’ I think it likely it may revive with a little fresh blood lately imported – I think you have seen these 2 plates – The proposed additions to them will, I believe, be approved by the Labourers – it is no use asking for the approbation of the Farmers who are mostly wonderfully apathetic (not to say envious) about anything done to encourage their Labourers – but all this you know well enough – Thanks for the Report which I will read as soon as I get home & see if I can’t gather a hint or two from it

Believe me

very truly yours

J. S. Henslow