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(seq. 6)
[loss] [loss] [co]ntaining [loss] [bus?]iness of [loss] [?]ene [?]erated in my Catalogue, and a respectable number from other parts of the Union, beside several hundred from Europe. It is our intention to persevere by exchanges, and otherwise, until we obtain, if possible, a toler= =ably complete American herbarium; which shall at all times be accessible to the notaries of the science, who may honor our establishment with a visit. We should be happy to contribute, according to our humble capacity, to similar institutions in the other regions of our country: and while we would be grateful for the privilege of numbering you among the benefactors of our association, it is by no means our purpose to annoy you with a preposterous request to exchange with us. We are aware that you must already be in possession of the greater portion, if not all, of the plants of our district of country; and that we can have scarcely any thing of value, or interest, at this day, to offer you. My object in forwarding the enclosed list, is merely to show what plants would be particularly acceptable to us — and in the hope that there may be some younger botanists, in your part of the country, who would be willing to exchange specimens with us. Of these is any botanical indi= =vidual, or association, in the South, within your ac= =quaintance, who would take an interest in such a project, I would thank you to put him, or them, in possession of the within list; and make known our sincere disposition to co-operate in the un= =dertaking. The intercourse between Philadelphia and Charleston, or Savannah, by packets, &c. will afford frequent opportunities to transmit packages of spe= cimens in either direction. Any thing sent to us, may be directed to me, care of Mr. Judah Dobson, Bookseller Philadel: and whatever we have to send, shall be carefully forwarded in conformity with such instructions as we shall receive. We can readily furnish nearly every plant enumerated in my Catalogue (making allowance for errors in the work) and I will gladly
[loss] If [loss] any plant mentioned in the [loss] of this vi[?] [loss] which you would like to have [loss] will give me great pleasure to collect and forward any such to you whenever you may signify a wish to that effect: And any thing contained in the enclosed list of desiderata, which it may be perfectly convenient for you to favor us with, will be most thankfully received specimens of Southern plants, with the names sanctioned by your authority, would be inestimable treasures to us. —
I must beg to throw myself on your indulgence for the liberty taken in troubling you thus. I can only plead, by way of apology, our anxious desire to become better acquainted with the plants of the South, — and my ig= =nor[ance] of any other gentleman, in that quarter, to whom I could directly address myself, on that subject: —
I have the honor to be, with the highest respect, Your obedt. servant, Wm. Darlington.
Stephen Elliott, L.L.D. } Charleston, S.C. }
P.S. I would be much obliged if you would inform me of the color of the ripe fruit of your Prunus hiemalis. I have latterly been led to suspect that it is identical with the P. americana, of Marshall, and of my catalogue — though, at the time I published the Catalogue, I was under the impression that our plant was limited to this region; or at least, had not been described by any botanist, except Marshall. Michaux's phrase, "Fru[c]tus nigricans, ++ hieme edulis", prevented me from suspecting it to be his P. hiemalis. During the last summer, I had occasion to observe the tree to be common all the way to Lake Erie, in this State, and also in the western parts of New York; and therefore must believe that it was known to Michaux, and Pursh. The fruit, when mature, is uniformly of a reddish yellow, or orange color, — sometimes nearly all red. Some [loss] [cu]ltivated varieties are [ne]arly as large as an apricot.