
          What I wish is a specimen (good one) for my finished
herbarium of as many American species as you
can command - not of course all at once but
from time to time, until you have supplied me
with a fair representative of American vegetation.
For this you will receive not only the present
Icones Filicum - which will be furnished in six month
(240 plates) but our second series of the same
extent for which we are at present trying
to find a publisher. The latter will be indeed
as far as the [?] goes, a Species Filicum.
Such a collection as I wish from you will be
valuable [?] from you authority. By the 
way [?] send me a copy of your Synopsis
which I believe was published some time ago.

Your 2d col. of the Flora is I suppose not
yet finished. What else are you about &
what botanical etc news have you current?
How is [James] De Kay? Pray give him my kind
regards. I would have written to him by
this opportunity but my time is terribly
[?] up, wiht business far removed from
botany. I am secretary to the Society
for the Abolition of Slavery & we have
just sent of a petition with 25,000 names.
We are following your example too with
regard to temperance societies - we have about
        