My sister-in-law must now truly regret not having had her children inoculated, for they have the smallpox; and as this disease manifested itself at her Montmartre house, she is deprived of the honor of receiving you Monday the 13th, the day that you had been so good as to give to my brother. I shall ask your permission to introduce her to you some day, to partly compensate her for a disappointment which she could not feel any more strongly.

Yesterday I was at the Invalides to judge an experiment, the results of which will interest you. It regarded the conservation of wheat and flour. We observed 25 sacks of wheat in which there were no weevils, while the same wheat kept in heaps in granaries is infested with them, which proves the necessity of only keeping it enclosed in sacks. Consequently the administration of the Royal hotel des Invalides has decided to do this.

I am with the deepest respect, Monsieur, Your very humble and obedient servant