From George Bentham 29 October 1853

My dear Sir

You must have been surprised that your note of the 5th June last remained unanswered. It reached Hereford the day I wrote to the Post Office not to forward me any more letters as I was to cross the Channel the next day. I therefore never got it till I found it here on my return home a few days ago.

I have now resumed my labours and am proceeding amongst other things with the Lemannian Herbarium. I am therefore very anxious to hear from you, now that you have seen what I sent last year, what observations you may have to make on the subject. I fear you will have found a few among the earlier families not quite so neatly glued as would be wished but one of the women I had for a short time proved a failure and I think you will not have to complain any more - still if there is anything you disapprove I trust you will have no fear of annoying me prevent you from telling me as that is the only way to get it corrected.

The paper was ordered by Major Munroe for me of Messrs Tanner & Co. near Bristol. I had 30 reams which was to have been at 20/ but as it did not turn out when made quite as heavy as they had intended they charged only 19/. I shall have reason I dare say to order as many more reams - but till I have used up a good deal more of what I have in hand I cannot tell. If you like it when the time comes for ordering more I had better have a few extra reams for you.

As to the genus cover paper (which is the best I ever had for the purpose) it comes from America and Sir W. Hooker has at present at Kew the stock I ordered for the Cambridge Herbarium. I shall have it sent down here as soon as our railroad is open as I have some of my own stock to use in the mean time. Perhaps you had better take a ream of it at once from Kew before it is sent down here.

We have been deluged with rain here till today when we at length see the sun.

Yours very sincerely

George Bentham