1764.] TO JOHN BART RAM. 411 



February 25, 1764. 



Dear Friend : 



I received your agreeable letters of the 16th of June, and 3d of 

 December last, about ten days ago, and am really concerned to 

 hear that my last letter went to you by the post ; for I fully in- 

 tended and directed it to go by the favour of Mr. Willing, brother 

 to Colonel Byrd's lady, who was at that time setting off for Phi- 

 ladelphia ; but the person I intrusted it with, instead of sending it 

 to Westover, (Colonel Byrd's seat, upon James River,) put it into 

 the post-office at Williamsburgh. 



The reading the account of your travels, and the many curious 

 and uncommon vegetables which you discovered in your long 

 journey, gave me a vast deal of pleasure ; and at the same time 

 excited in me a longing desire to partake of the seeds, or roots, of 

 such of 'em as are not too great favourites with you to be parted 

 with. 



By your short description of the evergreen shrub, growing over 

 Colonel Chiswell's lead mine, I conjecture it may perhaps be a 

 species of the Taxus (Yew tree) ; for we have some of those trees, 

 more shrubby than the European kinds, growing in the western 

 parts of what you call Old Virginia. 



Your new Osteospermums, Silphiums, and Chrysanthemum*. 

 must certainly be delightful plants. I heartily wish it was in my 

 power to see 'em all, and your other curious plants and flowering 

 shrubs ; at the same time, too, to have the conversation of my 

 Avorthy friend in his garden. 



I sow always my Stavesacre seed in the autumn, for if it is kept 

 till spring, not one seed in a hundred will come up, and those that 

 do, make poor stunted plants, and flower so late that the frost 

 kills 'em, before the seed is perfected. I have not, at this time, 

 any of the seed, nor of the red Chelone ; but will take care to save 

 some of both this year, in order to be sent you by the first oppor- 

 tunity ; or by the post, under cover, as this goes, to Mr. Franklin. 



I should be very glad of a little seed of the Carolina Tipiti- 

 witchet, or Sensitive Plant, with a few directions as to the time of 

 planting, and the soil it most delights in, &c. I dare say, my 

 friend Mr. Franklin would be kind enough to frank a small 

 parcel of seeds from you to him, who is your sincere and affectionate 

 friend, 



John Clayton. 



