Alexander Garden relates that a year previously, he had received Linnaeus’s Fundamenta botanica and other works and had made much better progress with Linnaeus’s method than in efforts to follow Joseph Pitton de Tournefort for three years. He goes on to praise the Fundamenta botanica for their clarity and elegance.
Garden had tried to buy the rest of Linnaeus’s works from Holland, but he had been told that they were sold out, except Bibliotheca botanica. However, he had had to go north for his health, which he had done with joy, and there, he had had opportunities to study Characteres plantarum [Garden means Genera plantarum, unclear which edition, the most recent was Genera plantarum [...] editio quinta], Systema naturae [unclear which edition, presumably, Systema naturae, 6th edition] and Critica botanica. He had also examined plants not growing in his region. When he had come to New York, he had met the eminent botanists Cadwallader Colden and John Bartram and been warmly received by them. He had taken the liberty of writing to Linnaeus after having seen Linnaeus’s letters to these two scholars.
Garden is conscious of his inabilities as a botanist and is eager to learn, and as a compensation he offers Linnaeus samples (living, dried, seeds or pots) of species growing in the southern part of North America, species that do not withstand the colder winters farther to the north.
Garden has been in America for three years as a medical practitioner in South Carolina, and for the first year and a half tried to study botany according to Tournefort’s principles, into which he had been introduced by Charles Alston in the Edinburgh garden. He had used Institutiones rei herbariae and the works of John Ray, but he had had great difficulties. If he had not happened to acquire Linnaeus’s works through a friend named Bull, he would have given up botany entirely.
Garden is very eager to hear all sorts of scholarly news from Europe, such as titles of new books. Garden sends the letter together with one to Johan Frederik Gronovius and asks Gronovius to forward it to Linnaeus, and Linnaeus may use the same way back for his answers. There are four or five ships every year between South Carolina and Rotterdam, which may take mail.
Garden could say more but he does not want to tire Linnaeus. It will be for another time. He has made a description which he asks Linnaeus to correct and thus teach Garden on the art of describing plants.
The return address is given at the end of the letter.