
          Ipswich, March 12, 1829

Dear Sir,

I recd.[received] yours to day & with pleasure subscribe for a share & should be glad to 
take more if I had any money to spare. I do not know whether [crossed out: ?] is expected that
the cash should be advanced by subscribers, if so, please pay for me when necessary &
I will remit to you immediately by mail. I must confess that the raffling plan of
the thing strikes me rather ludicrously. I am sure you could not have assented
willingly to it unless it was thought necessary to obtain subscribers, which is not a
great compliment or honour to "our "scientific" men". It seems to me the following
plan should be practicable - A complete set of specimens in all the departments
to be first selected, valued proportionately & taken up by such subscribers as
are willing to present it to the N.Y. Lyceum, of which I should be
glad to be one, if necessary. The duplicates then to be distributed
among the remaining subscribers, by lot, or [crossed out: ?] the discretion of the
committee according to the particular wishes of each member, as
far as possible. The collector if he performs his duty well [added: & collects abundantly] ought to
have [crossed out: at least 6][crossed out: {added: or more]][added: at least 15 or 20] shares, with liberty to choose [added: fast] after the Lyceum.

Having recd.[received] the first 8 numbers of 
Elliotts Flora. I have for many years vainly tried to get the remainder
at Boston, N.Y., Pha.[Philadelphia] & Charlestown. I wish you would
try & see if you can get them for me, or if not, the 2d. volume.

I have not said my [Last?] things of of you, or thought any properly
entitled to that name. I have sent on the other page a bit of 
such plants as I particularly want, & hope you will be able
to send me a considerable part of them. If you {crossed out: know of] {added: meet]
[crossed out: of] [added: with] any body who wished to exchange fine specimens in any branch of
N.[Natural} History for "extra superfine" specimens of N.E.[New England]- plants, I should be
glad to have you refer them to me. As I have them in abundance. 
I am glad that you have got back to botany & think
that you ought to keep your hands clean of [added: any jobs in any] [crossed out: every] thing else
as much as possible. Hoping to hear from you soon.

I remain yours truly

Wm.[William] Oakes
        