This collection includes 18 letters to Fielding.

In most of the letters the writers refer to plants they are sending Fielding, either collected themselves or by others.

Correspondents

* Bentham, George (1800–1884) Vienna, 18 April 1837, one page, 26.2 × 22.1 cm Forwards plants from Parreyss from Sieber’s collection, along with Arabian plants he collected for Fielding.

2 Queen Sq. Pl., London, 16 March 1842, 4 pages, 17.6 × 11.1 cm Relates to published statement by Royal Botanic Society that it would receive Fielding’s collections; this is apparently not certain. Bentham wonders how to dispose of his own collections after his death; both the British Museum and the Linnaean Society have disappointed him.

* Brongniart, Adolphe Théodore (1901–1876) Paris, 5 November 1840, two pages, in French, 26.3 × 21 cm Sends Fielding, through Pamplin, the second part of Aucher’s collections made in Armenia, Persia, and eastern Arabia. Asks if he knows anyone who wants plants from the first or second collections. The most interesting specimens can often be found in smaller collections.

* Cuming, Hugh (1791–1865) London, 11 September 1840, 1 1/2 pages, 22.5 × 18.5 cm His collections, contrary to William Hooker’s reports, have not been damaged by insects or dust. There was some water damage in Manila. They will be ready for selecting in about one month.

* Drège, Johann Franz (1794–1881) Koenigsberg in Prussia, 26 February 1837, 1 page, 25.3 × 21 cm Sends dried S. African plants through Mr. Otto of the Berlin Garden, who is to send them via Hunnemann. In a few months “a second part of our Commentary will be published, and then I shall dispose of a new set of my Herbarium.” Fielding should order early. Drège would prefer Robert Brown to determine his Protaceae. Also on the letter is a note from Hunnemann (11 March 1837).

* Ecklon, Christian Frederik Hamburg, 24 October 1838, 2 1/4 pages, 26.2 × 21.5 cm Includes a bill for S. African plants, to be paid to Hunnemann. Will now distribute only those plants “that have hitherto been named and described by some of the most esteemed botanists.” In the parcel being sent, the plants have been named by de Candolle, Bentham, Nees von Esenbeck, Griesebach, and Ecklon. Will return soon to S. Africa to bring back collections made by Zeyher in other countries.

* Gay, Jacques Etienne (1786–1864) Paris, 22 December 1835, 3 pages, in French, 19.8 × 15.7 cm Cannot send plants collected by Auger in Asia Minor, as Auger has up to now sent none. Offers instead “equally curious” Mexican plants, collected by Andrieux, a French merchant there, or by a French officer, Durieu de Maisonneuve, on the northern coast of Spain. Would Fielding subscribe to Portuguese collections by Durieu and get others to do the same?

* Graham, Robert (1786–1845) 62 Great King St., Edinburgh, 26 June 1835, 4 pages, 18.5 × 11.5 cm His failure to call upon the Fieldings is due to illness in the family. Asks if Fielding would like any Scotch Alpine plants.

* Herbert, William (1778–1847) Spofforth, Yorkshire, n.d., 1 page, 17.9 × 11.3 cm Will see Fielding tomorrow, “but I fear you will be very much disappointed if you expect me to shew you much that will be new to you.”

* Moricand, Stefano (1779–1854) Geneva, 9/10 June 1839, 2 pages, in French, 26 × 20.3 cm Sends specimens from collection by Berlandier; discusses collection. Refers to the first four fascicles of his own work, Plantes Nouvelles d’Amérique (Geneva, Imprimerie de Jules-Gme Fich, 1833–1846; HI call no. DS10 M854P); also refers to Blanchet, Robert Brown, Bentham, Hooker, and Hunnemann, and to collections by Mathews and Drummond.

* Royle, John Forbes (1799–1858) London, 12 February 1842, 17.7 × 10.8 cm Thought he could not be a trustee of the library of herbarium Fielding is presenting to the Royal Botanic Society because he does not belong to the Society, but apparently this is no obstacle. Asks if Fielding wants seeds of pines and other Himalayan plants.

* Smith, John (1798–1888) Kew, 20 July 1843, 4 pages, 18.1 × 11.2 cm Concerns Siebold’s specimens: there are few of them, he has seen all the ferns before in Hooker and Lindley’s collections, and the specimens were poorly preserved. These collections are from Mexico and some from Texas, but Siebold lost most of his principal ones while ill and also was not well treated by some. However, he plans to return.

* Tatham, John (1793–1875) 1. Settle, Yorkshire, 24 July 1838, 2 pages, 23.1 × 18.5 cm Relates to Eryngium compositae location; refers to H. C. Watson; “the flora Eboracensis is now publishing at Halifax.”

2. Settle, Yorkshire, 6 September 1838, 2 1/2 pages, 22.4 × 18.6 cm Sends plants Fielding requested; encloses [not in Archives collection] a catalog of his stock. Refers to sending Hieracium lawsoni to Roberts Leyland for determination.

* Tweedie, John (1775–1862) 1. Buenos Ayres [sic], 23 September 1835, 1 page, 22.4 × 18.3 cm Concerns details of sending specimens Fielding requested.

2. Buenos Ays., 16 October 1835, 1 1/2 pages, 24.9 × 20.3 cm Specimens have been sent; apparently these are also for Hooker.

3. Buenos Ays., 25 May 1836, 1 3/4 pages, 21.7 × 15 cm Sends “summer gathered varieties.” Will soon go to St. Paulos [sic]. Appended is brief note from Captain Williamson (26 May 1836), on board the Mary for Liverpool, promising to deliver the box in good condition.

4. N.p., n.d., 1 1/4 pages, 20.1 × 13.5 cm Is sending specimens from Organ Mts. collected by an English botanist who was supposed to collect in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro. Difficulty in traveling at present due to “savage war” and French blockade of port.

Collectors Mentioned

Andrieux, G. Aucher-Eloy, Pierre Martin Rémi (1793–1838) Auger (?) Berlandier, Jean Louis (1805–1851) Blanchet, Jacques Samuel (1807–1875) Drummond, Thomas (ca.1790–1835) Durieu de Maisonneuve, Michel Charles (1796–1878) Mathews, Andrew (?–1841) Sieber, Franz Wilhelm (1785–184) Siebold, Philipp Franz von (1796–1866)

Botanists Mentioned in Correspondence

Bentham, George (1800–1884) Brown, Robert (1773–1858) Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de (1778–1841) Griesebach, August (1814-1879) Hooker, William Jackson (1785–1865) Hunnemann, John (ca.1760–1839) Leyland, Roberts (1784–1847) Nees von Esenbeck, Theodor Friedrich Ludwig (1787–1837) Parreyss, Ludwig (?–1879 Watson, Hewett Cottrell (1804–1858)