A month ago Linnaeus sent a letter and a few dissertations to Cadwallader Colden with a clergyman [presumably Johan Sandin] going back to Pennsylvania [Linnaeus to Cadwallader Colden, 17 August 1747{L0825}]. Linnaeus hopes they arrived safely.
One of Linnaeus’s most excellent students ever, Pehr Kalm, now professor of Åbo, is on his way to North America. Linnaeus begs Colden to do everything he can to support this splendid man. Colden should invite him to read all his [Colden’s] observations and take advantage of his scientific skill and wide competence. Kalm will show him Linnaeus’s new Fauna Svecica which Colden has probably never seen. No man has given Linnaeus as much pleasure as Colden.
Linnaeus has read a thousand times the characters of his plants which have been forwarded by Johan Frederik Gronovius. Linnaeus wishes he could see dry seeds of them, especially of those that are not represented in Flora Virginica. If Colden is willing, Linnaeus will gladly publish them in the same way as it was done with John Clayton’s Flora Virginica [Linnaeus here refers to the forthcoming catalogued collection of plants
brought together, in the surroundings of Colden’s country seat, Coldengham, and communicated to Linnaeus, who published them under the title “Plantae Coldenhamiae"].
Linnaeus would appreciate it if Colden could specify the place of growth and flowering season.
Linnaeus, knowing well the friendly disposition of fellow botanists, hopes Colden will be so kind as to send some dried plants and various seeds. Linnaeus will soon send back his observations of them. Linnaeus mentions the plants he is especially interested in and mentions many items in Colden’s catalogue.
Finally, if only Kalm could present all these plants with explanations, so once Linnaeus could see how much he had to rejoice at.