Ab. <1>
26 Decr
My dear Henry
Poor Lady Sheffield’s <2> death obliged me to come here to stay with Ly I. <3> or I should have paid my visits to Bowood <4> & Lacock as intended – we are alone this Xmas but go to Melbury <5> some day next month I believe–
I enclose you a letter – & franked one for Dr Hooker <6> this morng evidently containing an Umbellifera – I enclosed to him also some capsules & seed of Veronica decussata which is I believe rare to see. I have fruit in process of ripening, on a Cactus out of doors – I believe it is Opuntia Dillenii – or if not, O. pseudocochenilifera of Bertoloni. <7> I have several fine Euphorbias out E. dendroides, Characias, ceratocarpa, Pithyusa, Persica, Caput medusæ (in flower) Myrsinites do, they are famous at Moreton <8> for Euph. Mellifera which seems wondrous hardy for a Madeira plant it is a fine species. Have not you raised a good many?
I find several interesting shrubs promising flower for the first time Acacia glaucescens, Arbutus Andrachne, Cytisus Æolicus, Helleborus argutifolius, Cassia tomentosa, of others less rare but interesting we have Cassia australis, Corymbosa, Daphne australis from the coast of Cumæ, & which shall keep its name as it seems different both from collina & the soidisant <9> neapolitana which nobody there knows. This winter all the Crassulas, Cotyledons, Shrub sempervivums &c – seem to care nothing for frost & few of the Mesembryanthemums.
We have a Cytisus I think Austriacus in flower – & many Coronillas & Cheiranthus mutabilis – Crocus Imperati, Iberis semperflorens, Anemone hortensis, Arabis grandiflora, & a beautiful tree of Arbutus hybrida which I recommend you as quite hardy, & more of a tree than Unedo. I find Artemisia arborescens a very pretty silvery shrub & am going to try out A. Argentea. Are you making an Arboretum? perhaps I could help you with a few individuals. Have you heard lately from Nice?
Yr aff
W F S
Do you want fresh specimens of Pteris Cretica in fructification – as I can give you them now
I should add to my list of flowers in blow Mathiola 3cuspidata <10> Cyclamen Coum, Coronilla glauca Medicago arborea, Mandragora microcarpa, Phylica ericoides & Oxalis hirta –
[envelope:]
1835 Dorchester December twentyseven W F Strangways
Henry F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
[?] Strangways
Notes:
1. Abbotsbury, Dorset: home of William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways.
2. Sophia Charlotte Sheffield, née Digby, sister of Maria, Countess of Ilchester. She died on 15 December 1835.
3. Juliana Maria Strangways, née Digby (d. 1842).
4. Bowood House, nr Calne, Wiltshire, 5 mi NE of Lacock: seat of the Marquess of Lansdowne.
5. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.
6. Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), Prof & botanist.
7. Prof Antoine Bertoloni (1793–1868), Italian botanist.
8. Moreton, Dorset: home of the Frampton family.
9. So-called.
10. Tricuspidata.