
          REcd April 2nd [JT]


 Apalachicola Mar. 22 1847


 My dear Sir


 I was truly delighted to get
 your letter of Novr 9th & the note of the 10th inst which
 came by today's mail & as I could not possibly employ 
 my time during this deluge of rain with which we are
 being favored I reply promptly by the return Boat.


 I hope you have not been disposed to censure my so long 
 silence indeed the subject of Botany had been quite exhausted
 & it was deemed a trespass upon your time & good nature
 to continue it  I believe however I have kept you supplied
 with everything of interest which has occurred during
 this long interval - on reaching New York in the Spring of 
 '43 I left with Wiley & Putnam a thin package for you of Florida
 Plants & in the fall also some gatherings from the White Hills
 & other parts of New England & it strikes me I have sent you
 one more possibly by Mr. Carey but of this I am not sure
 Except at night I am doing nothing in that line at present
 The things which have most interested me of late are an examination
 of Florida's Xyridaceae & descriptions of some undescribed
 things which are found in my Herbm  


 Are you disposed to credit the assertion that there are within
 a half mile of this city thirteen or fourteen species of Xyris?
 I am quite confidant of it & I believe when you come to take
 up this order you will agree with me fully - find all of
 Kunth's [crossed out:American; inserted:U. States] species except X. bulbosa & of this I think that I have
 a fragment from New Jersey   At all events I mean to publish 
 my notes on them hit or miss. By the way that X. carolin. Walt.
 is a puzzler & if you have Walter's description I would be much obliged
 to you to copy it for me in your next

        