404 Repm-t on the progress of the Horticultural Society, 



The boxes Nos. 27 to 32, arrived on September 28th, 1839> 

 in a very bad state, many of the plants being dead, and most of the 

 living ones sickly, a circumstance owing probably to the unfavour- 

 able season of the year at which they were unavoidably despatched. 

 Their contents were principally Orchidacea?, of which, out of 90 

 species received, there are now no more than 53 alive, and most of 

 these are still unhealthy. The only other plants in those boxes 

 were two Cacti, one a Cereus, the other, an Epiphyllum, both of 

 which are living. 



No. 32.— Hacienda del Carmen, July 20th, 1839.— "I beg to 

 " inform you that the plants collected on the excursion to the 

 " south coast have left Oaxaca for Vera Cruz on the 24th of last 

 " month, where they must have arrived long before this ; they 

 " were packed up in five boxes marked H. S. 33 to 37. In No. 36 

 " and 37 there are four plants of a Testudinaria, which resembles 

 " very much T. elephantipes from the Cape, only that the trunk 

 "is much natter. I hope they arrived in good condition. I 

 " should have sent more of it, but for the difficulty of getting 

 " them to Oaxaca. 



" On the 26th ultimo I again left Oaxaca for the excursion to the 

 " Chinantla, from whence I only returned yesterday, not having 

 " been as successful as I expected, considering also the pains I have 

 " taken to go 40 leagues over old ground before I could only 

 " enter the Chinantla. The few things I found are certainly 

 " prime, and will with some duplicates of a former mission, occupy 

 " about four boxes. I intend packing up these plants partly in 

 " moss and partly in the Tillandsia or " pastle," both which are 

 " easily to be procured here, in order to make a fair trial which 

 " will preserve the plants best. The pastle is common almost all 

 " over the country, from the coast up to about 9000 feet above the 

 " sea ; I am therefore very anxious to hear of the result, as the com- 

 " mon moss is always difficult to procure." 



The above mentioned boxes were received November 30th, 1839, 



