Box 10, Folder 3: Correspondence 1866

[Letter from James Watson Robbins to Increase Allen Lapham] [Left Page] which I believe no one else except yourself has found at the lake heretofore 17. [Saliola?] [Shale?] is quite unexpected from the L. S. region. ^[Corioperma hyssopifolium?] Is not this possibly an error? or are there salt springs in that quarter ^See Nut Gen. p3 A specimen gathered there would be interesting. 18. Quercus [rubra.?] I should not dare set this down as growing any where about L. S. unless it could be verified by reference to its peculiar large [p.?], for although all others have called the L.S. oak Q. rubra, I saw myself only the Q. ambigua of [illegible], which I think quite distinct and well characterised by its small & quite different cup & acorn. 19. [illegible] [illegible] I did not see & supposed it to be a more southern shrub, giving way northward, even in northern N. England to A. virides, which is com. at L. S. especially on the bank of the lake. Did you not ^no observe it? 20. Pinus mitis. Where did this grow? The [Pirisinosa?], which resembles it, is common at L. S. & I found also the P. Banksiana. According to [Pursh?] it (P. variablilis Lasab?]) tends southwards. 21.[ Fistiroa mutans?] [facgrans?] ^aculiatum . Where? ^Range

You will excuse me if I may seem to doubt whether there my not have been some mistakes in regard to some of the above. My associate and my self have each had occasion to correct several errors in our first hasty observations and I have rigidly included several plants which I think I saw, but, not having collected them, I am not [Right Page] quite certain. We have not made any attempt to cata logue the [mosses?]. Your copious list would have essentially aided in such an undertaking. I hope I am not asking too much in requesting you to tax your memory or examine ^anew your specimens anew of some of the above plants and give me the results. I will delay the transmission of the list in the expectation of a reply at your convenience.

The Poa which you forwarded appears to me to be Poa compressa, modified a little perhaps by the soil and place of its growth. If you should see cause to come to a different conclusion, please inform me. I enclose our common Poa compressa, rather too much advanced.

[Letter from James Watson Robbins to Increase Allen Lapham] I still continue, as I may have told you, to be interested in [illegible] genus [Potarioycton?] and hope to make some contributions the next edition of Gray's Manual. It has been a [fav?] [obscured] idea with me to make [illegible] a numbers of sets from my great collection and distribute among botanists. It is [obscured] just the time for collecting the first of some of the larger forms

I am deficient in some ^(particularly the first) which must grow in the lakes the west as [P. Prolongors?] and P. lucens (not P. amplifolius [obscured] & a form which I found ^([illegible] I think at Port Huron somewhat intermediate between [P. prologin?] & P. perfoliatus. The [illegible] [fluitans?] ^([illegible]) I wish for badly. Dr. [Seamon?] of Chicago, now [obscured] gave me from S. Mich. the large var. (s. fo.) of P [pusillers?] with [curved?] leaves. I much need the fruit of this and of P. [illegible] but it is now passed as is that of P. Robbins in which no one has ever [obscured] I would be thankful for a fragment of any thing in this genus which you think might possibly aid me. Yours cordially, J. W. Robbins

[Letter from B. D. Gilbert to Increase Allen Lapham] [Left Side] B.D Gilbert Sept 16^th

Arr^d Sept 22 [Right Side] Utica, N.Y. Sept 16/66

Dr Lapham,

Dear Sir, I am informed that it may be possible to obtain from you a good specimen of Cheilanthes [lamiginosa?], if your stock is not exhausted. My set of the ferns in Gray's Manual will be complete if I can procure spec's of C. [Lamg?]. &c. [Fomentosa?] & I should be willing to give anything I have for ^in exchange for them. For instance, I can furnish fine spec's of any of the Cyprypedia, almost any of the other ferns, & a number of the other Orchids, at the head of which I might put Platanethera rutundofilia, having supplied Prof. Gray with some of the latter this summer. If you

[Letter from B. D. Gilbert to Increase Allen Lapham] [Left Side] blank [Right Side] can accommodate me in this.

I will send you whatever I have that you desire, & feel myself your debtor besides.

Your truly

Benj. D. Gilbert

[Letter from Increase Allen Lapham to Col. W.F. Raynolds] [Left Side] To Col. W.F. Raynolds

Copy [Right Side] Copy Milwaukee Wis. January 12^th 1866

Dr Sir.

In the course of an investigation to show the value of the Water power at this place, I have had occasion to "post up" my observations on the water level (of the lake) the rain, evaporation &c [etc], made from here from 1836 to the present time, and from some of the results I am inclined to think we can now show a certain relation between the amount of rain and the stage of Water in the lakes.

Thus for 7 years, 1845 to 51, the mean stage of the water was 0.17 ft. above our zero of grades of streets, and the annual quantity of rain was 27.08 inches; again fro [from] 7 years, 1856 to 62, the water was 1.87