Box 3, Folder 3: Typewritten Letters 1840-1844

467 [448] 1841.

Ambrosia eleator (Recently introduced.)

Humulus lupulies (Plentiful.)

Nepeta cataria (Rare.)

Polygonum puntatum (First observed last year.)

Verbascum Thapsus (First observed last year.)

Potentilla Norwgica (Common.)

Rannunculus repens (Common.)

Rochelia lappula (Common.)

Rumex crispus (Rare.)

Rumex Britannica (Rare.)

Rumex aculcatus (Rare.)

Silene pennsylvanica (Rare.)

Xanthium strummarium (Rare.)

Our cypripedium candidum is a small species growing only in wet meadows.

The flowers of the Leptandria Virginica are white or light pink. Iris lacustris, color of flowers same as yours, blue purple.

Juniperis communis (or what I so call) grows prostrate. Am I wrong about the specific name. Cupressus thyoides forms cedar swamps every where in this county. Rubus idans should be R. occidentalis.

I hope to be able to extend my botanical researches this season further into the interior and shall probably make great additions to our Flora.

Do you not wish dried specimens of plants? I have a great number prepared for my friends, hoping in all cases to receive a return of plants, minerals, shells or anything else in Natural History.

468 [449] 1841.

I should be very glad to obtain specimens of your new Liatris and many other New York plants, but I have no catalogue of your Flora and can not therefore send you a little of such as I desire.

Enclosed I send small specimens of our cupressus and Juniperus from which you may be able to decide whether I am right in applying these names.

Very truly yours,

I.A. Lapham.

To David Thomas,

Greatfield, Aurora, Cayuga Co. N.Y.

Milwaukee April 10th, 1841

Dear Brother,--

Yours of the 25th was received last night and read by my "better half" to me with pleasure to both of us. The duty of reading it fell upon her on account of a sad accident which has just happened to me in the shape of hot maple sugar in a semi-fluid state which was spilt upon my hand so as to actually raise a blister! I have however strong hopes of recovering soon from this dreadful affair!

Our canal affairs are now, agreeably to your last, nearly in the same condition, both waiting for some aristocratic capitalist to take up the bonds which are ready for their acceptance. We have one advantage over you in offering a greater rate of interest (7 pr. ct. [percent]) and another in the security, consisting of lands granted by Congress to aid in the construction of the canal, besides we ask for only one half the amount of your demand. For these reasons we shall probably be before you in the money market. **** As soon as the bonds were printed here I mounted "Adelaide" and in three days was in Mineral Point (the headquarters of

468a [450] 1841.

Milwaukee April 9th 1841

Dr. John Torrey

Dear Sir,

Your letter of the 11th has just come to hand and as you have been so unfortunate as to not receive the plants I sent you last autumn, I have [sent] up for you another parcel, which I shall send by the first opportunity, containing as many as I still have duplicates of, and hope they may reach you more speedily. Several of our merchants use to leave here in a few days for your city and I will request one of [them?] to take it directly to you and receive in return whatever you may have [but up?] for me.

It is my intention, when I have ascertained the doubtful species and have collected a great many more species from the prairies to prepare a complete catalogue arranged according to the natural method and to embrace the whole territory from the southern extreme of Lake Michigan to Lake Superior. It would thus include many of the plants brought home by Major Douglas, Dr. Houghton and Mr. [Gray?].

I am sorry to learn that so little confidence can be placed in the account given in [Long's?] 2nd expedition as I had intended to embrace these in the list. Can you by reference to your notes without too much trouble tell me which species in that account are erroneous?—or should I neglect the whole as uncertain? I send you the Triticum

468a [437] 1841.

[pariciflorum?] Schw. Was it not a new species? I hope you will take the trouble as heretofore to send me the result of your examinations of the plants I send. Many of them I am unable to determine with certainty with the few books I have access to here in the west. Eaton's manual 7th edition is my principal authority and his descriptions are not always sufficiently minute to enable me to determine our plants.

You will find a beautiful various leaved gentian, resembling in some respects the G. crimata, but which may rank as a distinct species. It is some times branched but usually consists of one straight erect stem crowned with one large flower as in the specimens sent you. The lower leaves are more round, but like the round leaves of the hare bell [harebell] (Campanula rotundifolia) are seldom to be found. One of the specimens sent you exhibits the rounded leaves.

The specimens now sent are not so perfect as I could wish, for the best have been selected and sent to others and I suppose I have sent you many species which will not interest you very much. If you will indicate any of which you as Dr. Gray wish better or more specimens, it will afford me pleasure to furnish them during the season.

Yours truly

I.A. Lapham.

469 [452] 1841.

Gov. Dodge) 130 miles from here, rather a hard drive considering the newness of the roads. A snow storm prevented me from making the necessary "Geological Survey" to enable me to give you a very satisfactory report in relation to the Mineral Point region, but Mr. S. Taylor supplied me from his beautiful cabinet with as many specimens as I could conveniently carry in my saddle bags. The Governor and other officers of state treated me very politely and used every exertion to hasten the business of signing bonds, letters of instruction &c. The governor appointed me "special agent 'with pleasure.'" Had intended to address me on the subject "was very glad I had come."

I got home safely notwithstanding the weight of my saddle bags, which laid me liable to suspicion of having a specie abroad, which is rather a dangerous traveling companion!

Now I hope you will make an attempt to visit me! I have tried to visit you several times without success. Your greater energy of character will undoubtedly enable you to succeed. Come by way of Home, so as to bring father and mother with you! Should be happy to see you all here! Now don't think I am joking! do come and see,

Increase.

New York April 12th, 1841

My dear Sir,--

On Saturday evening (10th) I at last received the parcel which you dispatched to me. ****

I have your list of desiderata on my table and shall refer to it when looking over my duplicates. Many of the plants that you desire can readily be supplied by me and I shall send them to