
          Manchester N.J. Sept. 30th 1846


 My Dear Friend.


 Yours of the 25th was handed
 me with the box which contained the elegantly [coloured?]
 Fremontia vermicularis and a quantity of fine letter paper
 for which I feel greatly obliged - I regret that
 I discovered too late that Mr. T & family had
 gone to Princeton - Mr Huntington was here
 on sunday last promised to see me on Monday
 before he should return - but was off on Monday
 morning at 5 A.M. without calling - On Saturday
 last I started to get a supply of Schizaea [Juis?] .
 (9 miles off) but when I had gone two miles I
 blundered upon a Sclereia on a very dry gravelly
 hill which impeded my progress until quite too
 late to obtain the little [?] and I did not 
 get a supply of the latter until yesterday.
 I had obtained the Schizaea before at Quaker
 Bridge but too young (8th July 1841) found it too
 later in the season, but after a freshet covered
 with mud a slime, At this season of the year
 the specimens are full grown but in many
 specimens the fruit has entirely disappeared leaving
 the fertile frond open & empty. The upper half
 of the plant having turned yellowish and the heads
 brown - I secured the tin box full, which 
 I sent you plants in several times of the
 best i could obtain _ I will send some when dried
        