5-11-1995
Dear
Bill,
Received
your letters dated 9 and 24-10-95. Good you are writing biographies, and
remember that you must bring to Italy not only the letters you received after
my departure, but also your replies.
May
be one day I write to Ian Smith about some problem. For the moment I am
waiting answers from the USA.
Happy
that the introduction for RIR is OK. Don't send me this book, because you
annotate it together the other things you must bring to Italy. I'm interested
in seeing it, but I can wait, so you don't spend money.
Thank
you very much for the Darwin's book regarding the voyage of the Beagle. Don't
exists an Italian translation, and soon I will search inside the argument I
have in my mind. When done, I write my findings.
Glad
to hear that you will write an article about Mendel monastery. I hope to
receive every issue of your Club
Newsletter. The last issue I have is of June 1995.
When
in Mendelianum, the museum into the monastery, they indicated to me a
book of an Italian author, Federico Di Trocchio, the title Law and case in the
Mendelian Genetics. I have bought it two days ago and not read obviously. The
resume: after the formulation of the chromosomal inheritance theory there was
an ask: in what way Mendel, who nothing knew about chromosomes, selected 7
characters independently segregating? May be that the most famous Abbot of
science falsified the results of his researches? This book explains that
Mendel nothing falsified, but explains also in what way the experiments was
done in a total different way as Mendel narrated to us. The pro posed
reconstruction explains all the found incongruities and of some biographical
circumstances which in other way are not understandable. From the theoretical
point of view the fact that the genetics were founded on the
probability-count, rather then on purely biological considerations, gives to
Mendel the role of population genetics founder rather than founder of the
genetics strictly called. But overall we must consider that the genetics is
not an undeterministic science.
So,
very interesting. Every day some news. And several news from Russia. I quote
in other pages the letter I sent to Loyl, because for me is too long writing
in English, and this letter contains nearly all I have to tell you about this
new experience.
Dear
Loyl,
I
have not words to thank you about your idea to write to Dr Romanov to help me
in some way for may genetics poultry book. The invitation for the workshop in
Moscow was a very luck’s stroke. I had the possibility to know some
interesting people. In primis Dr
Romanov: his kindness is very very rare, his patience also, and his
interesting for Poultry is very deep and in expansion. By Dr Romanov I have
known Dr Irina Moiseyeva from Genetics Institute in Moscow, and a poultry
breeder, Dr Blistanov from Saltykovka near Moscow, and I think that we will
have a great cooperation in genetics and in breeding.
Irina
needs several information, also about old Italian breeds of fowls, because she
is working on the origin and correlation of various breeds. Romanov brought in
Moscow the 3 books of Bill about the origin and bones recoveries. The books
was photocopied and I think that they will be very useful to Irina’s
researches. The books was sent as gift to Romanov by Bill, and this because I
sent to Bill a photocopy of Romanov’s letter where he was inviting me to
Moscow’s workshop, after your suggestion to help me in some way.
Sometime
I think that we are in the middle of a
magnificent tornado. All began with a Latin correction to the first book
of Bill, Gallus pluma cruris instead of Gallus pluma crusis. These are the ways
of the life.
I
sent a first envelope of information to Irina and I am preparing several
other, and I am waiting for information about old Italian breeds from Florence
by Fabrizio Focardi. When I have all this material, then I give to translate
in English or in Russian. The job of Irina about the Italian breeds is
connected also with a work of the FAO.
The
economical situation in Russia is very bad and Irina thinks that never they
will seen the resolution. The Government don’t give money and the researches
are nearly stopped, may be only in some field. For example, may be that the
Russia is spending a great amount of money in army.
So,
I send as curiosity the paper of Irina about Orlov breed. In this way you may
understand that the desire to build something is very big, but they have not
what use.
I
know that you are a Mecenate, a manager. The last proof is the big bundle
I received when I was in Moscow. Very interesting books, and the book of Jull
contains arguments I was searching from several time. What telling about the
splendid table-cloth? You are ever a crazy
man!
Now,
because you are crazy, I suggest to
you to be crazy also with Russia. Dr
Moiseyeva, who has lost his husband 6 years ago, is a very simple and informed
woman. If you may help her, this would be right. For example, I know that Dr
Romanov received from you the Crawford’s book about Poultry Genetics, and
this may be one good idea also for Irina. For example, I am preparing
photocopies of several parts of the book of Finsterbusch about Game Cock, and
even, parts of the English translation of the job of Aldrovandi.
This
is only an idea and a suggestion. But, you must know how many they earn. The
minimum in Russia it’s 100 US$ per month. Dr Baranov from Developmental
Institute of Biology in Moscow (where they hold the very interesting workshop)
earns 50 US$, and Dr Romanov in Ukraine 40 US$. Please don’t permit to
understand to Romanov that I told to you about his salary. He has a great
dignity and I don’t will offend him. But this is the reality! I don’t know
how many earns Dr Irina, but I think a similar amount.
I
give you the addresses to use for an express mail. I think that it’s a
particular service offered by the University.
Dr
Irina MOISEYEVA
for
letters:
GEN
460
PO Box 289
Weybridge
Surrey KT 13 8WJ
UK
for
books and other materials:
GEN
460
Suite 999 - 3 The Quadrant
80 Church Street
Weybridge
Surrey KT13 8DL
UK
Bill
Plant will be in Italy during Entente
Européenne, when we hope be able to present the Italian Poultry Standard,
if ready. The meeting will be hold in Bergamo (near Milano), a beautiful city,
and I have in mind to sponsor the travel of Romanov, if he isn’t busy. For
the moment he nothing knows about my idea. I think that this opportunity is
very interesting non only for Romanov, but also for our Federal Association:
observers from Australia and Ukraine.
Dr
Blistanov was a manager in pharmaceutical field and was the coordinator of the
hunting hobby of Nikita Krushov. He is also breeding a hunting dog, the Pointer. In my hotel’s room we hold a very interesting meeting:
Moiseyeva, Blistanov, Romanov, Corti. The meeting was gladdened by abundant
vodka, tomatoes, roasted Yurlov (a breed of long crowing which now has lost
this trait), food prepared by Blistanov. A very interesting meeting with
Romanov interpreter between me and Blistanov. I have promised to him eggs from
Italy.
Here
I quote part of the letter written to Dr Romanov (33 years old):
...the
very interesting for me was to knew you, a fellow very rare to find, with a
big dose of patience in supporting all my asks and researches, ever prompt to
help and with a constant kindness very rare to find today. Every people is
running and running, never stops to hear and help, never like discuss and go
in depth of various arguments. Sorry, my English is too poor to permit me
communicate easily with you. I hope in the future to be able in expressing to
you my thoughts without you be tired in hearing mistakes difficult to codify
and decodify... I can synthesise in few words my thought about you: during
this year I have had two unexpected strokes of luck.
The
first was Bill Plant, known only by letter and through a little telephone
call. It's not necessary to add other words about this argument. The second
luck's stroke was known you, and I don't knew if you also will be present at
the workshop. I can tell you that I hope that the motto there is not the 2
without the 3 will be true. I hope close the year with the resolution of some
important problems when I go to the Brazil.
Bill,
you was very kind in sending your books to him. He was very glad, and brought
them in Moscow, and telling about the origin of the domestic chicken with Dr
Irina Moiseyeva, I invited Irina to photocopy your books, without your
permission, because she need very quickly of the information you collected.
She is doing a job about the correlation of the origin of different breeds,
and when the job is done may be we can see that your theory about Malay is
true... I enclose an article of Irina. I have not read again, but may be it's
very interesting. I send a copy to Carefoot too.
In
the letter addressed to Stromberg you can know the salaries in the East of
Europe. So, I send you 100 AU$. With this money please send (by air mail) to
Dr Romànov your magnificent book about Australian Pekin (with compliments of
Plant and Corti written inside). The rest of money you may use to send all
other your books, overall that on goose, because Romànov is overall
interested in this moment on this argument, and he knows
personally Hoffmann.
I
think that Romànov will write to you asking information
about Anser Novaehollandiae,
because I told him that your library is
an endless mine.... These informations because he is building a genealogical tree of the geese.
Every
day I and Romanov was telling about you in remembering your words: some
progress today... Also Romanov was preoccupied in giving me the possibility to
find all want. And so happened.
Without him my stay in Russia would be very difficult. His patience resolved
everything. We was also to the animals market, a very interesting market.
I
wait for the answer about your ex libris to finish it.
Now
we tell about your trip. I have reserved the British Airways flies
Sydney-London and vice versa as follows:
departure
from Sydney: fly BA 10 - 29 Apr at 15.15
arrival in London; 30 Apr 7.45 (local hour)
departure from Milano: fly BA 569 - 24 Jun at 19.35
arrival in London at 20.10
departure from London: fly BA 9 - 24 Jun at 22.25
arrival in Sydney 26 Jun at 5.25
I
will come to London to wait for you, and we will fix later the
duration of your stop in England. Today I write to Carefoot telling
about your trip. Logically, I write to Carefoot that the program of your
arrival is only indicative for the moment. But the date I think may be the
same.
I
received a very nice, a rare nice letter, from Napoli (Naples), from Professor
Prota, and I cannot translate to you because it's difficult to give the same
air. The information I sent him about plumage colour, and the enclosed
feathers, introduced him in a very interesting field. He was stopped at the
feathers of the New Hampshire of which he and his school studied the
pheomelanins. He is waiting for us. I think that from Prota may become some
interesting news about the pigments. I have ready to send him several feather
with brassiness, the brassiness described by Easom Smith. Nobody tells about
the chemical nature of this pigment.
Glad
to hear that the family of the dogs is now going well. For Bob, to look him
active, you must prepare a tasteful Risotto
alla Milanese....or Ai Quattro
Formaggi.... and so on...
My
kindest regards,