William Carey, [Serampore,] to unnamed correspondent, undated.

A portion of a letter in which Carey is requesting various seeds of plants and flowers to be sent by ship to India. 

               Desiderata

Iris  germanica

____ pseudoacorus

____ orientalis

____ virginica

____ foetidissima

Cyclomon coum

____ europaeum

____ hederifolium

____ persicum

Galanthius nivalis (common Snowdrop)

Leucojum or Snow flake

____ vernum

____ aestivalis

____ autumnale

Narcissus

____ poeticus

____ augustifolius

____ Psuedo Narcissus

____ major

____ minor

____ bulbocodium

Lilium

____ bulbiferum

____ aurantium

____ pomponium

____ martagon

Erythronium

___ dens canis

Convallaria

____ majalis

____ polygonatum

____ verticillata

Comfrey or Symphitum officinale

      Also Seeds of Primulas, viz: Cowslips, Oxlips, Polyanthus—Phlax of different sorts—Dianthus or Pinks of different species.  Mesenbryanthemums of different species.  Roses. Cistus. Thalictrum, Rananculus, Anemones, Aquilegia or Columbines, Geranium, Erodium, Pelargonium, Passiflora, Aster, Coreopsis, Rudbeckia, Soldago, Buphthalmum, Helianthus, and Centauria.

      The best way of sending them is to mix the Seeds with Peat Earth, about three or four times as much earth as seeds, and put them into a box so as compleatly to fill it, and then nail it down.  A list of the Seeds should be sent by the Ship on which they arrive, with a letter to advise of their being shipped.  The Roots may be put into the same box, but should be labelled that they may be distinguished. 

                                                                     W Carey

Text: Eng. MS. 343, fol. 38, John Rylands University Library of Manchester.  Most likely Carey’s correspondent is John Shepherd, curator of the Liverpool Botanical Gardens, c. 1820.