Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London
Information
Title - Letter from Theodor Hartweg to the secretary of Horticultural Society [George Bentham], 21 Regent Street, London
Record type - Archive
Original Reference - RHS/Col/7/1/1/10
Date - 19 Jun 1837
Scope & content - Written from Lagos [Lagos de Moreno, Mexico]
Postmarked ('London 11 Sep 1837'). Part of an opened seal is attached to the letter. Annotated on the reverse in another hand: 'Forwarded by your obed [obedient] servants McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico], Tampico [Mexico] 7th July 1837'
Letter No 7
Annotated in pencil at the top and in the same hand on the reverse: 'Opened by Mr Edgar [Thomas Edgar, treasurer of the Horticultural Society of London]' and 'Opened by T.E. [Thomas Edgar]. I am glad to see he is going beyond Durango [Mexico]'
He acknowledges receipt of a letter dated 14 Mar, which he received on 31 May; he was pleased to learn that the Orchideae collected at Zaquapan [Zacualpan, Mexico] arrived safely and included many new ones; he regrets that his instructions did not permit him to stay longer in 'that country so rich in plants', as he would have been able to collect plants from the beginning of the tierra templada ['temperate land' in Spanish, referring to places at a higher, and therefore cooler, altitude than those on the tierra caliente, or places with a tropical climate] to the snow line, visiting each climate in its proper season; collecting here is 'a real misery', and despite riding around, he frequently finds no more than a single plant in flower; the temperature in the shade is 88°-90°; the tierra fria ['cold land' in Spanish, referring to high altitudes with a cool climate], which is more 'productive', is only on the summits of the highest mountains here, but he will probably find more plants there after the rainy season, which is just beginning; during five months of collecting, he has only about 125 different species in dried specimens, 97 of which form 'complete sets of 20 each'; he has been told by several travellers that the area between Zacatecas [Mexico] and Durango [Mexico], where he is intending to visit, is equally barren; he proposes to stay between the two towns there, and then head for the Sierra Madre of Durango, which has been recommended as 'particularly rich'; on 13 Jun he sent a box marked HS3 to Messrs Meade [merchants in Mexico] of Guanajuato [Mexico], to be sent to London via Tampico [Mexico]; it contains the Orchideae he mentioned in his last letter, bulbs of yellow Amaryllis, 39 kinds of seeds, among which is more of the Mahonia from Zaquapan [Zacualpan], which he proposes calling Mahonia inumis [unidentified], until a proper name can be assigned to it; he sent all he can find of the two new species of Garrya; he arrived here on 17 Jun and will continue his journey to Aguas Calientes [Aguascalientes, Mexico] in about three or four weeks
Hartweg's accounts for 17 May-17 Jun 1837 include 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of the mozo [servant]' $16, 'horse keeping' $12, 'box HS3 & matting' $2.4 and 'carriage of luggage' $6.4. Written from Lagos [Lagos de Moreno, Mexico]
Postmarked ('London 11 Sep 1837'). Part of an opened seal is attached to the letter. Annotated on the reverse in another hand: 'Forwarded by your obed [obedient] servants McCalmont & Lyall & Co [merchants in Mexico], Tampico [Mexico] 7th July 1837'
Letter No 7
Annotated in pencil at the top and in the same hand on the reverse: 'Opened by Mr Edgar [Thomas Edgar, treasurer of the Horticultural Society of London]' and 'Opened by T.E. [Thomas Edgar]. I am glad to see he is going beyond Durango [Mexico]'
He acknowledges receipt of a letter dated 14 Mar, which he received on 31 May; he was pleased to learn that the Orchideae collected at Zaquapan [Zacualpan, Mexico] arrived safely and included many new ones; he regrets that his instructions did not permit him to stay longer in 'that country so rich in plants', as he would have been able to collect plants from the beginning of the tierra templada ['temperate land' in Spanish, referring to places at a higher, and therefore cooler, altitude than those on the tierra caliente, or places with a tropical climate] to the snow line, visiting each climate in its proper season; collecting here is 'a real misery', and despite riding around, he frequently finds no more than a single plant in flower; the temperature in the shade is 88°-90°; the tierra fria ['cold land' in Spanish, referring to high altitudes with a cool climate], which is more 'productive', is only on the summits of the highest mountains here, but he will probably find more plants there after the rainy season, which is just beginning; during five months of collecting, he has only about 125 different species in dried specimens, 97 of which form 'complete sets of 20 each'; he has been told by several travellers that the area between Zacatecas [Mexico] and Durango [Mexico], where he is intending to visit, is equally barren; he proposes to stay between the two towns there, and then head for the Sierra Madre of Durango, which has been recommended as 'particularly rich'; on 13 Jun he sent a box marked HS3 to Messrs Meade [merchants in Mexico] of Guanajuato [Mexico], to be sent to London via Tampico [Mexico]; it contains the Orchideae he mentioned in his last letter, bulbs of yellow Amaryllis, 39 kinds of seeds, among which is more of the Mahonia from Zaquapan [Zacualpan], which he proposes calling Mahonia inumis [unidentified], until a proper name can be assigned to it; he sent all he can find of the two new species of Garrya; he arrived here on 17 Jun and will continue his journey to Aguas Calientes [Aguascalientes, Mexico] in about three or four weeks
Hartweg's accounts for 17 May-17 Jun 1837 include 'monthly allowance' $50, 'wages of the mozo [servant]' $16, 'horse keeping' $12, 'box HS3 & matting' $2.4 and 'carriage of luggage' $6.4
Level - Item
Extent - 4 page letter (1 sheet)
Repository - Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library
Copyright - Royal Horticultural Society
Credit Line - RHS Lindley Collections
Usage terms - Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)