Elwes, Henry John, 1846-1922 (traveller and botanist)

Elwes thanks Ewart for the draft of the application which he hopes to submit shortly. If Ewart can secure the grazing on the hill behind his farm, Elwes will send him 30 Shetland ewes. He will take the five sheep that are for sale for £9 and offers Ewart the Herdwick ram that Mr Howard of Greystoke is selling, if Ewart would like to try him with some Cheviot or Blackface ewes. He advises Ewart to get the printed results of experiments at the Cumberland Experimental Farm near Penrith.

Elwes reports that Hall, a mutual acquaintance, approves of Ewart's paper and feels that it paves the way for something on a larger scale later. Elwes has received a pair of Rocky sheep, and asks Ewart if he wants a long-tailed black Welsh ram lamb. He has heard that the Board of Agriculture are trying to get a farm where animals for exporting will be tested for tuberculosis and imported animals received in quarantine.

Elwes writes that he thinks the second application better than the first and provides details about the transport of some sheep. He also writes that he is enclosing a cheque for £9 to pay for the sheep he is buying from Ewart.

The letter is undated, although marked 'Sunday', which seems to place it around 24 September 1911 (ie the Sunday following Elwes' letter of the 20th September, where he mentions wishing to buy the sheep).

Elwes asks for feedback on his notes on Ewart's sheep, which he intends to publish. He stresses the importance of photographing the sheep, as well as taking the measurements of the weights and lengths of the fleeces. He will send the black ram lamb to Ewart shortly.

The year is not written on the letter.

Elwes asks Ewart what the Ronaldsay sheep were like, and whether Eagle Clark is back from St Kilda yet. He reports that they have an acknowledgement of their application from the Board of Agriculture. He also mentions that he will be visiting the wool manufacturer Sanderson.

Letter is undated, although marked 'Sunday', which appears to place it around 8th October (ie the Sunday before the following letter, Coll-14/9/17/65).

Elwes corrects the information he had provided in a previous letter about his visit to Sanderson. He states that he does not want Mr Cowan's ram lamb this year and instructs Ewart to keep him until he is a shearling and makes arrangements for the transportation of some sheep.

Elwes asks Ewart to clarify to the funding body that although Elwes is working in collaboration with Ewart, he is not seeking a grant himself. He also asks him to check that the application does not clash with any application made by Wallace.

Elwes thanks Ewart for the report, and requests that Watson returns the fleeces to him at once as he wants to show them to a cloth manufacturer as well as to Bateson, who will be visiting. He will send Ewart his Norfolk rams if he wants to try crossing them with some Cheviots. He has received few answers to the circular, and complains of 'the apathy of the average English landowner'.

The year is not written on the letter.

Elwes asks Ewart to confirm when he will be able to accommodate him on his return journey from Poltalloch on 16 September, and comments that he will shortly be leaving for Capenoch, Dumfriesshire.

The letter is undated, but as Elwes' Capenoch trip was likely to have occurred on 9th September, this letter presumably dates from around 7th September 1911.