Weber, A.F. July6, 1876 



Lyon, 20 June 1877 



My dear Colleague, 



The small box of living plants that you graciously sent me, arrived in perfect condition 

 ten days ago. The best way to prove my gratitude for this envoy will be to multiply these 

 plants as soon as possible and to spread them to the collections of Europe. After their 

 arrival I occupied myself by placing them in good hands. Not being able to visit with Mr. 

 Martel, I immediately wrote him and asked him to come and get these plants from me. 

 He took all of them except the two Echinocactus polycephalus et Johnsoni that I took to 

 Mr. Robert in the surroundings of Lyon. He is without doubt the best grower of Cacti that 

 I know. Mr. Martel has a very imique talent for planting, but Mr.Roberts has the most 

 ability to multiplication with graftings and cuttings.He promised me that in one year your 

 Echinocereus polycephalus will have multiplied. He began to plant it in a warm bed so 

 that it could root itself well; because the plant will grow vigorously, in the fall or a year 

 later in the spring, he will cut it in two and will graft the head on a very vigorous 

 specimen. I am convinced that he will succeed very well because I saw the surprisingly 

 good results he obtained with the methods of culture and graft; for example in very rare 

 species such as Echinocereus, ( look on original letter), some of which were very 

 common at his home and multiplied infinitely my grafting. he mentioned that the 

 Echinocereus polycephalus arrived in good health, but the Echinocereus Johnsoni is in 

 poor condition, it is nearly dry; meanwhile Mr. Roberts waits to be involved. I also 

 brought him pieces ofOpuntia that were duplicated. For example the Opuntia Kleiniae, 

 That I can eaily compare with what we have here under the name of Opuntia sp. 

 Bigilovii??. This last one will be rapidly grafted and will soon develop vigorously. 

 However I doubt very much that it is the plant described by you under the name of 

 Opuntia Bigeloni. The plant that you sent to me seems to me to have stayed very small. 

 In the future we will have more information. 



All the other plants were sent to Mr. Martel who will give them special care. Both of us 

 were happy to have the unusual and microscopic Mamillaria micromeris that I hope will 

 live a long time and prosper and will be able to give us flowers and fruits and reveal to us 

 the secrets of its affinities. You know that as far as I am concerned this plant is not a 

 Mamillaria. Let us temporarily accept the subgender Epilantha. I am curious to be able to 

 examine the flower, specially the ovary, because I query if it is not simply a small 

 Echinocactus. 



The plant that you sent me under the name of Cereus setispinus will grow rapidly and be 

 grafted. We hope that we will be happier than you and will see it bloom. But allow me a 

 question: I don't know any plant described by you under the name Cereus setispinus. 

 Could this not be a Lasisus calamil that you mentioned in your letter and was on the 

 package sticker? Could it be by chance the Cereus Longisetusl I beg you answer me in 

 this regard to clear my doubts. 



