
          West Charter, Penn. [Pennsylvania] May 17, 1825


 Sir,


 Your favor of the 21st [?] was duly received,
 and would have been acknowledged immediately, - but I
 had an engagement in Philadelphia last week, and [concluded?]
 to postpone my reply until after my return,
 in order that I mught ascertain whether a copy of
 your Flora could be procured in that city. I made 
 considerable inquiry for the work, but could not find
 a single copy, neither in the Bookstores, nor in the
 Libraries of several scientific societies which I visited.
 One of the Booksellers informed me that he had applied
 directly to [Messrs. Swords?] for it without success. I
 will therefore [?] it a great favor if you will
 cause a copy, as far as it is published, to be sent 
 to [Messrs. Kimber and Sharpley,?] Booksellers, Market Street,
 Philada [Philadelphia] directed to me. They will forward it as soon 
 as it arives; I will settle with the publisher for
 the purchase money. I wish also to be considered a
 subscriber for the [?] of the work. I am the
 more anxious to [publish?] it soon, because in my catalogue,
 which is now in press, I have quoted you for
 a few names, on the authenticity of [?] Schweinitz;
 and would prefer to conduct the work itself, lest I
 may have misapprehended [Mr.?] Schweinitz.


 I am much obliged by the sentiments expressed in
 your letter relative to my catalogue; but am sorry
 tosay that you have undoubtedly far overrated its
 importance. It will, at this day, [process?] comparatively
 but little value. When I began it, in 1813, we were
 very destitute of satisfactory accounts of American plants;
 and my object was to contribute my mite towards
 a better acquaintance with them, by giving some idea
 of those which grew in this vicinity, with their local
 distribution, times of flowering, and maturing their fruit,
 and occasional notices of their [ways?] in Agriculture, medicine,
 and the arts, and since then, the works of [Uhlenberg?],
 [Punsh?], Elliot, Nuttal, Barton, etc, etc have appeared, and
 pretty much superseded the necessity of my catalogue.
 Indeed I should have abandonded it altogether, but I
 procured three plates to be engraved several years ago-
 and having the materials chiefly arranged, I have finally
 concluded to print a very few copies- chiefly for
 distribution among my Botanical friends and correspondents.

        