T?\"t T , ' made 016 ac q uair, tance in Paris, of another rieh amateur, Mr Andry 

 and a so Mr Labouret. In the collections of Mr. Andry and in the establishment of Mr 

 Cels, I had the opportunity to know species that were new. However I never had the 

 time to study the plants in a scientific manner. I was only an amateur, I simply wanted 

 to know the other plants of the greenhouse, no more no less. Not being home 

 trequently I fmished by making a present of my small collection, to one of my parents 

 tiiat had a greenhouse in Strasbourg and who was also an amateur. Düring my travels to 

 Algena, Italy, China and Cochinchina I continued to busy myself with botany as a 

 simple pass time. I was marveled at the splendor of the Vegetation in Cochinchina that 

 was totally unknown to me. I spent much time and work to get to know this immensely 

 hot greenhouse that was entirely at my disposal. I seriously began the first sketch of the 

 tlora of the French Cochinchina, that is to say of the provinces around Saigon but then 

 was recal ed to France. My studies were deactivated Düring this time, naturally I 

 completely forgot about the Cacti. It was not until 1 863, having asked to go to Mexico 

 that I again began to occupy myself a little in there study, with what ever facilities I ' 

 cou d muster m that land. But I no longer had a collection with me. The one of Mr 

 Saglis disappeared following bis death, mine nearly stopped to exist. At the moment of 

 my departure for Mexico, I was introduced to your work by Mr.Buchinger. Until then I 

 had on y known them by name. I ordered them to be bought in Germany and sent to me. 

 l took the ones of Salm, Labouret and Pfeiffer. 



At first I attempted to correspond with Mr. Labouret, but had to discontinue, because of 

 his extreme negligence and because one day he simply got rid of all his plants and did 

 not want to be engaged with botany anymore. I had no fiirther news from him nor did I 

 find out what happened to some extremely valuable plants that I sent him from 

 I enaucan. I then communicated with Mr. Buchinger to find out who the German 

 S T°i7, W o e Wlt ? Wh ° m 1 C0U,d corres P° nd j n regards this specialty. Mr. Buchinger 

 asked Mr. Braun for his opinion and determined that there was n o one in Germany who 

 could give him advice, but then gave me your address. 



You know the rest and you know the unfavorable circumstances that I have met in order 

 to try to reahze my plans. 



I would have liked to send many beautiful samples to France to be able to study them 

 on my return. But not having anyone to send them to, I had to be satisfied by sending 

 small samples to Mr. Gerard in Strasbourg, of whom I have spoken to you before and 

 who made his greenhouse available for my plants. There has, without a doubt been a 

 considerable mortality in the plants that I sent him, but only a few speces have been 

 completely lost. In h,s greenhouse at this time there are some beautiful and rare 

 samples, that are difficult to find elsewhere.Among others, about sixty beautiful 

 Anhalonium, five sulcatum in perfect condition, about thirty prismaticum that measure 

 19 cms. m diameter; a large quantity of Mamillaria macromeris ( that are found in 

 abundance in certain areas north of Monterey, Matamoros and Mier. It is positivelv the 

 plant that you desenbed! !); several samples of Pilocereus (or Cereus?) flavispinus 

 whose name I changed to Pil. Doutrelaini because there is already a Cer. flavispinus 

 some well preserved Pilocereus lateralis; many rare and beautiful Echinocactus in ' 

 which there are two new and magnificent species, the Echmocereus Gerardi and 

 Sussion. The : first is similar to the electracanthus but quite distinet and the second of 

 etc ftc UP ° ' g SOme simi,arit y but yet different from the lophothele, 



I had sent a mass of seeds to another amateur from Strasbourg, Mr. Holt, whose care I 

 confided in. I was not mistaken as Mr. Holt was able to cultivate nearly all the 



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