
                         Washington City  April 24th 1850

Doctor Jno Torrey,

Dear Sir,

I have this day forwarded to your 
address per Adams and Co's Express, a box containing some
hardy plants and seeds for your Garden, which I hope will reach
you in good condition; some of them are marked for my young 
friend Master Herbert and in the packet of seeds there is a 
compass and letter for him also.  I put one of my men to pack
the plants, and I am afraid he made a bad job of it. If any of 
them does not succeed, I will send you some more. You ought
not to sow the seeds till about the second week in May.

Now about my Mss: you have not yet given me your opinion
respecting it, and I fear that you view it as being so poor 
a production, that you avoid telling me so, in order to save 
my feelings. Do not be so; I shall take any thing you may 
say, in good part, as I know that you will be candid. I hope 
that you and our friend Dr. Gray have settled upon definite forms 
of type and arrangement of matter for the Book. With
regard to forms of type for certain matter, both of you ought to 
be good judges on that head, and against any style which may
have been agreed upon, I shall say nothing but thank you kindly
for the advice; and as respects any great alteration or transposition 
of descriptions, references and remarks (after you have 
combed the bad English out the latter), I cannot conceive that 
much of it will be necessary.  Dr. G. and myself talked about
allowing the name of the species to remain in the middle of the 
page (without the authority) and then to repeat it at the commencement 
of reference to authorities; and such an arrangement would I think

        