Johan Peter Falck has given Jonas Synnerberg the following material to be taken by sea to Stockholm and delivered to Linnaeus at his earliest convenience. A small wooden box, that is not sealed for the sake of the customs, containing Siberian minerals from Pavel Grigorevich Demidov, and a stick of the lace-bark tree from Johann Jacob Lerche, and finally a packet with seeds left over from the spring [sowing] material from Astrakhan and Siberia is to be awaited. Living material of Andromeda calyculata is also enclosed, and in the same pot also an Artemisia and a small rhizome of Pulmonaria Sibirica. However, the gardener dug up the wrong Pulmonaria. The Pulmonaria Falck intended was located beside this, which had more coarse leaves and was not so fragrant. The right one will be sent next summer, if he is still alive.
Falck has seen the Medical Garden. Nothing special is to be found there, at least regarding Siberian plants with the exception of Amethystea caerulea and Spiraea crenata. In the Orangery there are a lot of trees of Coffea, to what use he does not know. There are also some African Gerania, caper Capparis spinosa, and some other common orangery plants. The Apothecary or “Provisor” keeps the garden for Collegium Medicum to obtain pressed juices, distilled [filtered] water and specific dry medical-herbs. Falck is spiteful to learn that Aegopodium was named Archangelica. Conium grew in the ponds and Melampyrum nemorosum was definitely a Parietaria. Falck hastily visited the Botanic Garden once before but has thoroughly examined it now. He can report the following species: Chrysocoma biflora with and without ray-florets, Robinia pygmaea, Statice tatarica, Astragalus galegiformis, Crepis Sibirica, Salvia nemorosa, Veronica spuria, Hypericum ascyrum and Hieracium according to Johann Georg Gmelin’s, Flora Sibirica, vol. II. Falck considers it most curious that the plants can reach such great height on this sandy ground so that one can hardly recognize them. The garden is somewhat sloping and moist enough to be covered on the open ground by mosses, Brya, and liverworts, Marchantia polymorpha. In the last letter Falck could not determine the plants in class Syngenesia, which were in a sterile stage. But now he has examined them to Carduus nutans, Serratula coronata and Coreopsis tripteris.
Falck has no other particular news to forward to Linnaeus. The most depressing news, he received from newspapers from Hamburg, which reported the tragic death of Pehr Forsskål. Falck grieved the loss of his friend and possible benefactor so much that it made him ill. Some weeks ago one of the Demidov brothers married. It was Petr Grigorevich Demidov, the youngest [the others were Alexandr Grigorevich Demidov and Pavel Grigorevich Demidov] according to Falck.
Falck pays his deepest respect to Linnaeus’s wife [Sara Elisabet Linnaea], the young daughters [Elisabeth Christina Linnaea, Louisa Linnaea, Sara Christina Linnaea, Sophia Linnaea] and to Linnaeus.
P.S. David de Gorter the Physician-in-ordinary will leave for Sweden as soon as possible. He is eager to pay Linnaeus his respects. However, there are some problems with Gorter’s pension. It is not authorized yet in spite of the assurance to Gorter and his late father. Falck also reports on a newly released Appendix to Gorter’s Flora Ingrica and that he has been fortunate enough to speak with Gorter a few times this summer. Finally, Falck asks Linnaeus, most respectfully, to forward the things enclosed to their rightful owner.