
          endeavoring to curtail more than I have done.  You mention,
 in yours of October 23rd, that there will probably be not
 less than 250 of my immense pages, in the work.  I do
 not adopt the large pages of the former [Elsay/Essay?]. My object
 was to make a pocket volume; & I therefore adopted 
 the duodecimo size for the pages, with a small type.
 Yet I have already reached 200 pages, and have only
 just got through with the Umbellifera, or the
 last of [Pantandria digynia?]! This has alarmed
 me, a little, for the size of the volume; and I shall
 now try to be brief.  But I do not calculate
 to have less than 500 pages; & I fear there will
 even be a few more.  The plan is to include with
 the native & naturalized plants, all those which are
 cultivated for useful purposes, in the county.  These
 last amount to about 90; and the whole number will
 be somewhere near 1100.  The ferns & filicoid plants, are
 included in this number.  Having put all the Cyperaceae
 & Gramincea in [Triandria?], I have got through with
 about 380 species, in 200 pages, - leaving about 700 
 yet to describe.  So, you see, if I do not compress
 a little, I shall be in danger of having a volume
 of near 600 pages!  I did not originally contemplate
 more than 400 pages; but I am now forcibly reminded
 of Stern's remark - "Let no man say, I'll write
 a Duodecimo"! The only thing I can allege in [publication?]
 of my voluminous descriptions, is the desire I had to enable
 our young cultivators of Botany to determine our plants
 satisfactorily, - & to entice them to a careful investigation
 of details, by comparing my descriptions with the plants
 themselves.  I have endeavored most particularly & scrupulous-
 ly, to examine every part of every plant in my possession
 and, if I live, shall continue so to do, to the end.  With what
 success I shall be able to give the descriptions, must be judged
 by those who may undertake to verify them.  My own labor,

        