122 JOHN BARTRAM TO [1739. 



September, others not till Christmas. They are extremely dis- 

 agreeable to eat until they are thorough ripe and will fall with 

 shaking the tree : then their pulp is delicious. But their skin, which 

 is as thin as the finest paper, still retains an astringent bitterness : 

 yet many of our country people are so greedy of them, that they 

 swallow down skin, pulp, and seeds, all together. I admire they 

 are not cultivated with great care in Europe, instead of many other 

 kinds of fruit which are much inferior in goodness. They make 

 an excellent liquor, or wine, for pleasant drinking. 



Our friend, Isham Randolph, (a generous, good-natured gen- 

 tleman, and well respected by most who are acquainted with him,) 

 hath agreed with me to have a correspondence together ; but can't 

 tell well which way to carry it on whether back of the moun- 

 tains, by the way of Shenandoah, or below the mountains, we can't 

 yet tell. 



I think to be diligent in my observation on the flower of our 

 Sweet Gum, to gratify thee and thy curious friends. It seems 

 strange that some accurate botanist hath not already taken notice 

 of it ; but I suppose the difficulty of procuring the flowers, hath 

 been some reason of the neglect, for the tree generally groweth 

 straight and tall, and seldom bears seed before the tree is forty or 

 fifty feet high. 



When I was down in Virginia, my wife sent a box of Allspice 

 berries, which I had with some expense of time collected, being 

 most of what I could find about where I live, and for twenty miles 

 distance. 



I obtained a sight of the copy of Doctor Gronovius's letter, 

 which thee sent to James Logan, just before I sat out for Maryland, 

 which a gentleman had copied before Logan sent it back which 

 was soon after he received it. If I can any ways, without much 

 loss of time, oblige Lixxm*s or Groxovius, at thine or their re- 

 quest, I am willing to do it. I perceive they are curious and in- 

 genious botanists. 



I have put several Sweet Gum burs in the box of seeds. 



July, 1739. 



Friend Peter Collinson : 



I have received thy kind letters by Wright, which were very 

 acceptable, as also the cash, which came in the very nick of time, 



