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[Page 6]
with the asistance of Mr Lance to enquire into the nature of the Plant of which it is made the manner of their culture & of that mode by which the Chinese seperate the fibre from the stalk & afterwards prepare it for Twisting, Untica [pivea?] appears to be one of the Plants Cultivated for its Fibre, another is called Ma, the means of both these & of any other plants used for the same purpose will be very desirable to me as well as such details on the subject as may be met with can be procured
The Northern & even the Midland Countries of China no doubt produce many Plants that may be Cultivated here in the open air, as Tea & the Saphora Japonica [note added] & the Ailanthus - now are, Plants of this description are on all accounts of the utmost value & should be preferrd to all others, the [indecipherable] which you will know if you see it by its similarity to shrubs of the same genus is more than 100 feet high & will if it bears our climate as it very likely may, be the chiefest ornament of our [indecipherable]
if you are so fortunate as to be provided by Mr Lance with a garden & Chinese assistence