Box 7, Folder 6: Correspondence 1844-1845

Book of mosses prepared by Dr. Lapham for the U.S. Soldiers' Sanitary rair in 1865. Donors: Charles and Seneca Lapham.H6802

I.A. Lapham Esqr. Milwaukee Wisconsin, Ter. C.W. Short Feb. 12 1844 Louisville, Ky February 12th '44 My dear sir - Your last letter to me dated the 28th of March 1843! - and surely I have written to you since that time; since I must have recd. your last parcel by Mr. Williams since then. I am, after so long a silence very anxious to hear from you again, and to know what you have done within the last year in the way of our favourite science. If our friend Sullivant, within sight almost of the Capital of the populous and thinly settled state of Ohio, has discovered the new genus so justly dedicated to him; surely you should favour us with a Laphamia from the untrodden wilds of Wisconsin, and even something on which to hang my apotheosis, for there seems no chance of my immortalizing myself in "old Kaintuck." To be serious, however, I hope you have had opportunities within the last season, of bringing to light many things "both new and old." As for myself I have been trudging on pretty much in the old way - making considerable collections during the past season, and distributing them to various friends and correspondents during the winter. I have now before me twenty two par...

[par]cels of this kind for as many different individuals! Six for foreign parts, and the remainder for our own country men. Of these one parcel is of course intended for yourself; but so much delay seems to have attended your getting the last one from me, that I must look on some other channel of communications. In your last letter you suggest the route via St. Louis, Galena, Chicago, &c &c, and I will therefore act on your suggestion by sending your parcel, (in company with one for himself) to Dr. Engelmenn, and request the favour of him to seek out some mode of forwarding it. Should you know of any opportunity from your parts, perhaps it wd. be well to inform Dr. E. of it. I hope the parcels will be safe in his hands by the 10th of March. The parcel alluded to for yourself contains a number of species which I have recd. from correspondents in the Southern States, and which I supposed might be new or interesting to yourself, but I am sorry the specimens are not, in all cases, as good as they might have been - certainly not so good as they would have been if you had made them: but in this respect I am highly pleased to observe a very manifest improvement in a great degree attributable to the good example set by yourself, Mr. Oakes, and a few others. I note what you say concerning the shells, which I asked of you for Prof. Meisner. Should you have it in your power to make up a box for him, and can send it to Dr. May, Cambridge Mass., he will no doubt forward it with great pleasure to [illegible], being in frequent correspondence with the [illegible] Profr. and I have no hesitation in promising you in return, either the shells or plants of that interesting country, as you may prefer. The plants of the Alps of Switzerland have peculiar charm in my eye, abounding as they do in beautiful vegetables. Their gentians and polentillas veronicas and primulas make up the prettiest part of my Herbarium. Prof. Meisner, I am pleased to see, is engaged to furnish some of the natural families, as Polygones, Posteacoa, Begoniae &c &c for Decandolles Pendesmus, the 8th vol. of which is now just published. On the young Polygamun Prof. M. published a monograph some years ago. Have you any intercourse or correspondence with Dr. Houghton of Michigan? He is, I believe, actively engaged in investigating the natural history of that state, and I attempted once to draw him into an exchange by sending him a box of our plants; but he never noticed them! Please to let me hear from you when you shall have recd. the promised parcel.

And believe me very truly & respectfully yours, C.W. Short

Dr. P.D. Knieskern P.M. Manchester [illegible] N.Y. Ansd. April 25, 1844 Dear Sir, I have just received by today's mail your two very acceptable pamphlets for which you will please accept my sincere thanks. I have long since had a wish to open a correspondence with you, for the purpose of obtaining some desirable plants from the far west. I feel grateful for your favour & hope to be permitted to add your name to my lest of botanical correspondents. I hope you will pardon the liberty I take in annexing a list of desiderata and beg you will favour me with a similar one of such plants as you may desire. Please forward your list as early as practicable, that I may supply you with a large number of species this season. I would send you a Catalogue of Oneida Co. N.Y. which I prepared a few years since & which was published in the Report of the Regents of the University of the State of N. York in 1842; but I find my duplicate copies are all exhausted. I am preparing a list of the plants collected in this county (Monmouth, Co. N.Y.) and when it is published, which I hope will be the present season, I intend to distribute copies among my botanical friends. [list of requested specimens]

[list of desired specimens]

I have been asking for about 10-1200 specimens of about 120 species of plants. I have set down the full no. of specimens I desire, but you must consult your own convenience with respect to supplying me with them. And on your part I wish you would make out a list to match this & I will go into the work in good earnest & supply you with all within my reach. Of all the grapes peculiar to the west & wish large quantities say from 25 there must be many more besides - Have you Kouleria Oristata? I want a large supply. Write me soon and inform me whether you feel disposed to go into the traffic so strongly - I have many plants on hand now collected during a residence of two years in the 'Wilderness of flowers' besides many that I collected in various parts of the state of New York -

Believe me truly yours, P.D. Knieskern