IOR/P/13/36 7 Apr 1841 Nos 26-32

No 26

Letter to G. A. Bushby, Secretary to the Government of Bengal General Department, from Wallich, 21 Dec [1840]

• covering letter for nos 27-31, which relate to plants despatched from and received into the Botanic Garden
• gives an overview of some issues relating to the Botanic Garden, covering the period of the previous five years

• details of plants, trees, and shrubs excluded from the list, eg. annuals (normally distributed as seeds); plants which have experienced problems being cultivated, such as nutmegs, mangosteens, the clove; very common plants from Bengal; kinds of oak and chestnut; some kinds of orchideous plants, which have been despatched immediately following their arrival at the Garden and so have not been recorded

• discussion of fruit, especially grapes, sugar cane, coffee beans, plants that yield wood, transfer of plants to more congenial localities, problems relating to attempts to cultivate plants unsuccessfully

• analysis of plants distributed from Garden, eg. geographical destinations

• discussion of bills, payments, etc.

• transportation of plants, closed and open boxes, commanders of ships

• discussion of donors, both private gentlemen and public institutions

• list of particularly interesting plants, for medical and other purposes

• requests financial provision for employment of seed collectors

No 27

List of growing perennial plants, including tubers and bulbs, which have been distributed from the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden, from the commencement of 1835 to the end of Nov 1840, placed under their natural orders alphabetically arranged, 21 Dec [1840]

No 28

List of parties who have been supplied with Plants from the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden at Calcutta from 2 Jan 1835 to 30 Nov 1840, specifying the dates of deliveries, the number of sorts as well as individual plants furnished to each and also the number of boxes whenever flower pots were not used, 21 Dec [1840]

No 29

List of boxes of plants open as well as closed which have been despatched from the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden at Calcutta by Sea from 2 Jan 1836 to 28 Nov 1840 specifying the applicants and destination, names of vessels and commanders and dates of embarkation, 21 Dec [1840]

No 30

List of boxes of plants and roots received by Sea at the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden at Calcutta from 6 Mar 1836 to 28 Nov 1840 specifying the dates of arrival, names of Donors and of Ships and number of sorts, 21 Dec 1840

On 30 Dec 1840 the above letter from Wallich with its enclosures was transmitted to the Superintendent of the Military Orphan` Society’s Press with directions to print 100 copies for the Government and to return the original. Orders by the Right Honourable the Governor of Bengal.

No 31

One hundred copies of Wallich’s Report on the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden authorized to be printed under orders of this Department dated 30 Dec 1840, having been received the following distribution is accordingly made: [distribution list]

Ordered that the following letter be written to the Superintendent of the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden

No 32

Letter to Wallich from G. A. Bushby, Secretary to Government of Bengal, 7 Apr 1841

• acknowledges receipt of letters with enclosures and report relating to Botanic Garden covering period from Jan 1836 to Nov 1840
• reports that the Governor has been very impressed by Wallich’s work at the Garden in general and by his propagation of various plants in particular
• draws Wallich’s attention to the work of others working in the field, eg. Dr. Falconer at Saharumpure
• Governor suggests alternative to Wallich’s proposal for seed collectors
• Governor wishes Wallich to provide financial account of previous ten years
• informs Wallich that his report has been printed, and includes 20 copies