
                                                   West Chester, Pennsylvania Oct. 12. 1835


 My dear Sir,


                      Your last letter mentioned that you were about
 to leave New York for Princeton.  I suppose you have returned to
 N. York, [?] this; and I therefore take the liberty of again addressing
 you.  I have been closely engaged all summer with my Chester
 County Flora, - and I find I have undertaken a very tedious and
 laborious job.  I have [illegible] to give detailed descriptions of our
 plants, with a [illegible] to enable the various[ types ?]to ascertain them.
 I make free use of all the authors in my profession, - particularly
 of yourself and Elliott (and Muhlenberg, as  far as he goes); but 
 what I see, or think I am, in the plant.  This makes my pro:
 gress very slow and tedious.  It takes a great deal more time,
 to compare and verify detailed descriptions with several authors,
 than it would to write original ones: but I hope, if it got through,
 it will be thereby much better than any original descriptions
 I could write.  When I shall get through, I can hardly guess.
 I have only just entered upon [Pentandria?]  I had a hard siege
 with the Cyperaceae and Grasses; but had more satisfaction
 with them, generally, than I anticipated.  I sent for [Kenneth?]
 but did not receive hime until the last form of the grasses
 was in the printer's hands.  So I could not profit much by him.
 My fear now is, that if I do not curtail a little, I shall
 make my book too big: and yet I find it difficult to make
 a complete and satisfactory description within the limits
 which I desired.  You mention that Dr. Gray & yourself
 are working at the [Fl. Am. Sept.?] What is the outline
 of the work?  Is it to embrace all N. America? or the U. S. &
 Canada?  Do you propose to give detailed descriptions? or some
 thing like DeCandolle's Prodromus?  What state of forwardness
 is it in? Or have you begun to print?  I suppose, of course,
 it will be according to the Natural Method.  Do you follow
 DeCandolle or Lindley?  or modify, to suit your own views?
 I should be happy to learn briefly, the plan and progress
 of the work, if you have no objection; and still more so, to see
 it completed.  When will the next volume, or number of the
 Annals of the Lyceum be ready?  I am anxious to see it. 

        