
          
Dr. [Dear] Doctor.

Yours [crossed out: of 14 & 20 July] written partly this
14 & 20 July was duly recd [received]. I can assure you nothing
would afford me more pleasure than to 
have you with me here collecting our plants,
as well as studying their habits. I promise that
if ever I again go to the north I will make 
it a point to hunt you up be you where you
may. It would give me more pleasure to spend
a few days with you & Dr Gray than with
any other persons living.

You no doubt judge correctly of the hybrid verbenas. 
They were all collected within a small
[crossed out: place?] place growing intermixed.
[added in another hand: [not?]]

I admire your disposition  to multiply species,
the great fault of Michaux, Pursh & Rafineske [Rafinesque].
Still could I [crossed out: could?] just set you down where
I collected the Silphium no. 1 & show you a
spot of 4 or 5 acres with thousands upon thousands
of plants in what might be called a pond for
6 months in the year, every plant having several
radical leaves like those sent you, you would
I think say it must be different from any
species found in middle or lower Georgia.
Our Silphium grows generally in poor sandhills
or very dry situations. The few stragglers
I saw in other localities were in branches
when I collected the specimens I walked
about to hunt for varieties of Rad [Radical] leaves.
Some were wider & some more round at the
apex than others, but all really cordate
& crenate as you see. I gathered but 4
leaves which included all the variety I
could discover, & when I was putting up the
packet for you I deemed it useless to send
but two.
        