From George Bentham 20 May 1853

My dear Sir

I send off tomorrow to Hereford addressed as you desire to the care of Mr Stanton (sic) Curator Botanic Garden Cambridge eight presses containing the Polypetalae which precede Leguminosae in De Candolle's arrangement (Ranunculaceae to Conneraceae) belonging to Lemann's herbarium amounting to - 5253 species also Gramineae (Oryzae Phalarideae Paniceae Tritiquineae and Stipaceae) 454 species Total 5707 species

This is but a small installment compared to what I had hoped to have sent off by this time, but the arrangement has been a very much longer operation than I had calculated upon, and I have not derived the assistance I expected from a young man I engaged - who proved indeed a zealous well conducted industrious young man excessively devoted to botany - but not sharp enough to be of much use in this business.

I have also about 2000 species ready, belonging to other tribes of Gramineae - to Rubiaceae - and to some other orders which I keep till these orders are finished as there are other specimens probably to add in.

As I am rather out of pocket having a large stock of paper on hand it would be a great convenience to me if I could have another £25 paid into my bankers Messrs Martin and Co.

We leave home tomorrow to spend a fortnight with my Mother at Hampstead and then to make a three months tour in Germany and under such circumstances it is not quite so convenient to make much advance in money. Otherwise I had not intended to apply for any further installment till I had despatched 10000 species.

The plants are in genus covers arranged in the order of my herbarium -(though I believe I have forgotten to put Staphylinae next to Hippocastrum & Sapindaceae instead of with Celastrinaea) - I think that a sheet of pasteboard in each compartment over the plants is useful but I have not put them as they would have added [illeg.] expense as to the weight and cost of carriage.

I have ticked off all the named species in my own list so that I hope I may make up some deficiencies hereafter. My endeavour has been to get them as much as possible with their proper genera - but the Cape and East Indian genera especially want much working up as to species.

The plants are packed close in the shelves but one of the presses has several empty shelves so as to admit of a little dilatation.

I shall be very glad to hear from you when you have seen them.

yours very sincerely

George Bentham

I shall write tonight to Mr Stanton & enclose the Keys