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,