
           Middletown Connecticut
  October 26, 1843.


 Mr Dear Friend,                                                                


 I was greeted with your letter of the 24, this afternoon,
 and will shew [show] by an instant reply, how welcome it was.


 I had supposed you more intensly [intensely] engages with the New York
 Flora, or I should have been tempted to write, and break in
 and disturb your progress. Last spring I received some 
 15 or 20 fine specimens, in fruit undeformed, of Torreya
 taxifolia preserved in spirit. Some of these are
 intended for you. I can now see in this fruit (what I 
 before took to be the case) a close resemblance to the Japan
 plant, figured in Kempfer [Engelbert Kaempfer] whose work I possess.


 The Prunus referred to in the Mem. [Memoir?] of your last Letter I
 well remember.  I had referred it to P. americana [Prunus americana],
 having collected flowers, and leaves. It is 12 feet high at least,
 flowers freely, but the Tree grows in the middle of a dry wood
 North of this City, and I had supposed the boys will not let the fruit
 alone to ripen, having seen it only green. I did not observe
 it this fall, which was a great season for Plums, as well as 
 Grapes. I might have informed you for your state survey
 that I found the yellow plum P. americana [Prunus americana] growing in 
 great profusion, in Meadows near Skylers [Schuyler] Lake in
 Otsego County New York, several years since. The fruit 
 is yellow, and not ripe, till August & the same at this place.


 I enjoyed the high gratification of a visit of several days
 of Dr. Chapman, in the month of August, and supplied 
 him with a number of specimens  [added: of plants] much to his satisfaction 
 He visited the White Mts. [Mountains] of New Hampshire, and collected some
 rare plants there of which I have specimens.


 I thank you for naming Lieut [Lieutenant] Fremonts, report to Congress
 What I shall take care to enquire after, and I am also
 much obliged by your summary of news. I had not 
 heard of Mr. Buckley, and felt much concern for his safety. 
 The last season, what was so oppressive for Botanizing
 he has not written to me which I think very strange

        