167 



95. 



Novem'^ the 17 1753. 

 Much Esteemed & worthy Friend 



Whereas J wrote to thee last spring & have yet received no answer 

 therefore J have not much to write at present. But haveing an oper- 

 tunity J send thee a small specimen of a plant which J discovered four- 

 teen years ago but supposeing it would not grow in A garden & not 

 knowing what it was or what flower it bore J tooke but little notice 

 of it but haveing now found out the way to raise any plant or shrub 

 (but the great magnolia) J transplanted it last fall & the succeding spring 

 produced this specimen but by an untimely frost it was niped that it 

 could not open to the top: it is an evergreen veratrum it grows in wet 

 boggy shody cold ground the root is white & fibrous from which pro- 

 ceeds 16 more or less of longish leaves, broadest toward thair extre- 

 mity yet sharp pointed, the leaves of last years growth lyeth flat on the 

 ground in rays round this summers leaves which stånd more erect yet 

 bending toward the ground & sorounding a centeral bud which is set 

 in the fall & if for flowering is like A pointed Gone whose base is near 

 an inch diameter which next spring shoots up a single stalk eighteen in- 

 ches high with short pointed leaves set round it without order gradualy 

 diminishing in magnitude unto the spike of flowers which is two or 

 three inches long. the petals is a flesh color the apicies blewish & 

 standing out longer then the Petals which making A prety appearence. 



Pray how doth our friend Peter Kalm go on with the discription 

 of the plants of our Gountrey. He promised to send me one as soon 

 as printed & that he would do me justice in mentioning what Plants 

 or specimens J shewed him. But J can never yet A letter from him 

 since he left my house J should be very well Pleased to see what he 

 hath wrote on our Plants. J have sent M"^ Gollinson A Perticular di- 

 scription of our Evergreens which he desires to Publish thay are so 

 discribed from the green specimen before me that you may easily know 

 each Perticular species by thair distinguishing Gharacters & when that 

 is Printed none will be more ready to oblig thee with one then thy 

 friend in hast 



John Bartram. 



