
          Oriskany Oct. 26th 1838

Dear Sir

I received your letter some time last
Spring inclosing $20 together with a package of pamphlets

I immediately set about collecting plants and continued
to do as much as opportunity afforded without [interfering?]
with my professional and domestic duties. This pursuit
has however been very much interrupted this season by heavy
visitations of sickness of every member of my family and
the loss of a son nearly 5 years of age. The disease was
Scarlet Fever another child 7 years old was confined to
her bed 2 months and to her room a month longer. We
are however now all enjoying good health, and I have
for some time been waiting for orders to send the plants
I have been collecting last year & this season. My excursions
this summer have been mostly confined to this vicinity.
I have pretty large numbers of the rarer Carices
of this neighbourhood such for instance as C. limosa
C. limosa var. irrigua, C. cordorrhiza, C. livida or Grayana, C. paniculata
of these ^ [inserted: and many other species] I have more than 100 specimens each and if you
do not want them all I would like to exchange for others
that I have not. I have also large numbers of the plants
peculiar to the Oneida Lake region. Saururus cernuus,
Justica pedunculosa, Collinsia verna, and a Carex
found in a swamp on Pine Plains not known. I have
also collected all the Asters & Solidago species of this place

I cannot easily tell you now what I have; but whatever
I have for you I wish you would send for soon.

I have been for some time arranging my collections and
will soon have them in a proper shape to pack up.

Please inform [added: me] where Dr. Gray is & what he is
doing.

The books you mentioned as having left
for me at Albany, I have never heard from. Perhaps
you may get track of them. If you could send
the Geological Report of the present year, it would
be very acceptable.

I would be glad to send before navigation closes

Believe me truly yours

P. D. Knieskern

        