
          Recd. Feb 25

Orsikany Feb. 21st 1839

Dear Sir   -and- but
write [yarn?]

I have not heard from you directly since I left New York
but Dr Sartwell of Penn Yan informed me by letter about
12 days since that he has received a letter from you, that Dr Gray
had been in Glasgow with Sir Wm. J. Hooker up to the ears in Botany
& that he expected to go to London about this time & to Paris early
in the Spring. Immediately on my return home I commenced to collect the
roots of Cypripedium spectabile. The snow was 7 or 8 inches deep and
it required 2 or 3 days to get any considerable quantity. I procured about
500 specimens boxed them up took them to Utica with an intention
to send them by Rail Road to Albany & by Steam boat to New York
but found that the North River was closed with ice as far as
Hudson and consequently could not send the Box.

I kept the
Box in my cellar and wish you would tell me whether it
would be worth while to send them still if the river should
open in a few days or will it be altogether too late.
If too late for this season & you can make any arrangements [added: to send them]
I can probably supply any quantity & in proper season next Autumn

I wish you would advise me, how to arrange matters preparatory to
[crossed out & illegible] the continuation of Dr. Gray's Graminacae & Cyperaceae, if he does not intend to continue it himself. The specimens contained
in the two Parts published are spread over too great a 
portion of country to be easily collected by one individual in
a single season and farther the localities perhaps of some of
the species are not easily found except by those who have visited
them before. I could procure nearly all the Carices and
a considerable number of the grasses but if I should lack a single
species of either Part they would be incomplete. - -

I have a strong inclination of visiting and spending a week
or two in the Mountainous regions of Essex Co. next June & July.
there is an old soldier here who is well acquainted with a great
portion of that wild & unfrequented part of the country. He
has been out 5 weeks at a time hunting martins and fishing for
trout in those little lakes about the mountains. Another young
man is ready to go with me, and if you think I shall find
anything worth while I shall make the attempt with pleasure

We purpose to shape our course directly from this place to the
high mountains. Any information you can give me respecting any particular
localities will be thankfully received, etc.

I have also thought of visiting Binghampton and several other
places in that vicinity then pass over the high lands to the Delaware
River and from there to the northward to Schoharie Co.

And if there is any time to spare I want to visit Wayne
County and several othe places on the shores of Lake Ontario

There is a young Botanist going to Chataugua [Chautauqua] Co. from this place to spend
some 2 or 3 months in that region I shall lay in for a suit of specimens
from that place. The locality is between the Conewango & a branch
of the Allegheny Rivers. -

I have the promise of an exchange
with Dr  H. D. Sartwell. -

I have written to Dr. Bradley of Greece
and to several other Botanists but have as yet received no answers. -

I think I have found 2 or 3 subscribers to the Flora -

I mentioned to you I believe when at New York that I wished
to enlarge the number of my Carices. Can you recommend any one
in the Eastern States from whom I might obtain authentic specimens
from that region in exchange. -

I hope you will not be out of
patience with this lengthy epistle, but since there is abundance
of room I will give you a catalogue of all the species of
the Carex genus of which I have specimens. If you can in any
wise help me to supply what I have not you will oblige me very much.
        