link to Talbot Project home page link to De Montfort University home page link to Glasgow University home page
Project Director: Professor Larry J Schaaf
 

Back to the letter search >

Document number: 2848
Date: 16 Mar 1834
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: JACQUIN Joseph Franz Freiherr von
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 8th March 2012

Vienna
the 16 March 1834

Dear Sir

You receive here by the cuttings of vines You desired, viz:
No 1. Vitis vinifera vesuviana
The Lachryma Christi.
2. Vitis vinifera praecox caerulea.
The Portuguese of Baden, that yields the Vöslau Wine.
3. Vitis vinifera praecox viridis

Die weisse Zierfahnler of the mountain vineyards near Grinzing. This is the earliest grape that is brought on the markets of Vienna, from the surrounding vineyards. The Origin of the old austrian denomination Zierfahnler is said to be by corruption of an italian name Cerifania or something like. It is very sweet, but yields an indifferent Wine.

Mr Dieffenbach recommends to put the cuttings immediately after their arrival, bound together in boundles, upright in fresh water for several days, but so that one bud is kept out of the Water. Putting them afterwards in the earth, leaving only the upper bud out, he thinks they will certainly get well. You will also find in the box some parcels of seeds of Pinus, partly of the Pinus nigerius, partly sent from Odessa. All very fresh. I duly received Your two kind letters <1> and give You my best thanks for the seeds. I shall do my possible to bring the parcel for Tenore <2> forwards. He wrote me and sent catalogue [sic] in the month of January. Mr Dieffenbach is very much pleased, that his paking [sic] of Your plants has proved a good success. I wish You would bring the English Helleborus viridis with You, to compare it with our plant. I am very sorry You have not been here at the end of January, as it was a very fine show, to see all the 15 Species of Hellebores of the Austrian Dominions in full flower, and the Helleborus orientalis in the bargain. Those new plants have since been several times hurt by the later frosts, but allways [sic] revived at the next sunshine and I hope we shall get seeds of most of them. We had no Pelargoniums and Acacia in the open air, but Primula acaulis was everlasting flowering all the Winter, and in the beginning of February, one of our botanists, collected about 40 Species of flowering wild plants in the Stadtgraten [sic] between the Burgthor and Kärnthnerthor

I lost since Your Absence my old friend and condisciple Dr Host <3> who died the 13 of January at the age of 71 Years. The private Imperial Garden, that was under his care is now under my tuition.

Ribes Speciosum is now flowering at Held’s Garden. It is very handsome and curious. The structure of the Flower comes nearer to the Robsonia of De Candolle than to Grossularia. <4> Mr Martius <5> of Munich is at this moment at Vienna and remembers You kindly.

On the top of the box You will find, a Catalogue of Held’s Nursery that he sends with respectfull [sic] compliments. Then a printed notice on dialytical Telescopy, originating from the written one I made for Your use. [illegible deletion] Will You give it after having perused it to some of Your Astronomers, Mr South or Mr Barlow <6> A particular copy with an Address, I beg You to give or send to Mr Babbage. <7> At Your return at Vienna You will find copies ready for You. I am curious to hear the opinion of the English Astronomers on the dialytical Instrument, as the german [sic] Astronomers unanimously prise [sic] them very high.

If the season is not to [sic] much advanced, I shall be very obliged to You for any new shrub or tree from the English Garden. Is the Panax quinquefolium lost in England? It was formerly in plenty at Sir Joseph Banks <8> Countryhouse [sic] at Springgrove [sic]. I wished to get it, as it is an historical medicinal plant. I hope You will have made the acquaintance of my excellent old friend Mr Bauer <9> at Kew. Remember me kindly to any Botanist that is living of my old acquaintance 45 years ago. As also to Mr Rob. Brown, Lindley, Bentham, <10> [illegible], Lambert <11> &c.

Believe me Your most humble Servant
Jacquin


Notes:

1. Letters not located.

2. Michel Tenore (1780–1861), Italian botanist & traveller.

3. Nicolaus Thomas Host (1761–1834), botanist.

4. Sections of the genus ‘Ribes’ in Augustin Pyrame de Candolle (1778–1841) Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis… (Paris: Treuttel et Würtz, 1824–1873).

5. Dr Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1868), German botanist.

6. Sir James South (1785–1867), astronomer, and Peter Barlow (1776–1862), English mathematician and engineer who investigated areas of mathematics, physical sciences and engineering.

7. Prof Charles Babbage (1792–1871), mathematician & inventor.

8. Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820), botanist, president of the Royal Society.

9. Franz Andreas Bauer (1758–1840), Austrian botanical illustrator, resident at Kew.

10. Robert Brown (1773–1858), botanist; Prof John Lindley (1799–1865), botanist; George Bentham (1800–1884), philosopher & botanist.

11. Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761–1842), botanist.