
          Canal Boat Independence
 a little west of Schenectady N.Y.
 July 25th 1831.

 My Dear Friend,

 I regret very much that I lost myself the
 morning I designed calling on you in New York, so that it was
 after nine before I reached your house, when I could not expect
 to find you at home. I was afterwards in New York a
 week, but you were out of town so that I could not see you
 and my trunk of plants &c did not arrive so that I could
 leave no plants for you; but after waiting in Troy about
 ten days, my trunk &c came, but so late that I had not
 time to even try to see you & therefore left a package
 of plants at my father's for you, and also the package
 sent you by Professor Short of Lexington. [crossed out: In] The package
 which I left for you will be discovered [inserted: to consist of] several smaller
 parcels which I will be obliged to you if you will please to
 dispose of as requested: One, the largest parcel, is for yourself, and
 if you find any of the plants incorrectly named you will
 accommodate me by saying so; another parcel is also for you,
 which please to send me a list of, as I am in doubt respecting their
 names & some I know nothing of; another is likewise for you, collected
 between Wheeling & Baltimore, which I should like a list of; and
 a fourth & the last parcel are specimens of which I have no
 duplicates and therefore wish to retain the specimens; these I wish
 to trouble you with labeling and afterwards to send to my
 brother's store (Doughty, Robertson & Co) No. 90, Pearl Street, N.Y.
 and he will send them to me. Professor Short intended putting
        