
          Ipswich, April 3, 1828

Dear Sir,
I had the pleasure of recg.[receiving] yours this morning. [added: It is by no means certain that] [crossed out: my] a Flora of N. E. [New Englan]
will ever be published by me, especially as I cannot think of spending many
more years upon it. I am convinced however,that at present, there is room
for us all, & I am at present & probably shall be for 2 or 3 years, industriously
engaged in collecting materials [added: for it] with my own hands. It certainly will never
interfere with the sale & but little with the use of your Northern Flora,
as it will be published after yours is completed & every botanist in N. E. who
uses your Flora at all will probably use both. If you will permit me to
give you some advice in return. I should recommend to you to finish your
Northern Flora [added: which is most exceedingly wanted by our botanists] as soon as you can, & betake yourself with your whole
forces to the accomplishment of yourcontemplated Flora of U.S. no botanist
well fitted with a knowledge of the species like yourself, has ever examined
the ridge of the ALlegany ot the southern or western states. I would recommend
to you if possible, to explore the whole or a part of those districts
yourself.

I have no doubt that there are considerable number [added: say from 4 to 10 species of Phaenogamous plants] of the plants of the W. Mts. [White Mountains]
yet to be found, but as Pursh has been unsuccessful hitherto in his guesses
on the subject. I should not much expect to find [added: many of] his plants among them.
My plans for the season are so arranged, that even the pleasure of your company
would hardly induce me to pay the WHite Mts. a 4th visit. Last summer
I got a rheumatism there from a bruise of the knee & sleeping afterwards on
the top without shelter, which put me hors de combat two or three weeks
last fall & has not yet entirely left me. If you should conclude to go
there this season & let me know. I will send you a topographical
list of the plants found there, a nice map of the mountain, & a designation of the
places which I have not examined.

Upon referring to my letter you will see
that I requested you in it to inform me to whom I should direct a box of
specimens per packet to N.York. I have been ready ever since to send them
but not knowing to whom to direct them, or whether you were still at West Point
or N. York. I have sent neither letter or plants.

I am glad [crossed out: to find the] that you
find Mr. Pickering such as I described him to you. If you know much about
his situations & prospects in Pha.[Philadelphia] I should be glad to have you inform me, as 
he likes so little to speak of himself, that even his nearest relations have
no very precise idea of them, at least from himself.

I care little about
any specimens of plants except those of N. America & Europe, except grasses,
of which I should like to have any extra N. England genera that you
can spare.

All the cryptogamic collections which I have made or may
make, which however arefew except those of W. Mts [White Mountains][crossed out: I] shall always be at your
unlimited disposal. I hope that you & Sch & Halsey [crossed out: are] have not thought of giving
up your intentions to publish a Cryptogamous Flora of the U.S. Should I give up
any design concerning a Flora of N.E.[New England my [crossed out: materials] specimens & observations
will doubtless [crossed out: go] be at your service for your U. S. Flora, as I am
little disposed to scatter abroad again any grains I may collect in obscure
[added: or any] magazines, or separate monographs. Few things have contributed more
to the confusio [added: and uncertainty] of Bot.[Botanical] nomenclature than the habit of publishing
[added: instantly] any little paltry discovery in the next & nearest magazine. to [added: make sure of] [crossed out: get]
the "credit" of it. This mode of publishing discoveries, though useful &
proper in some other sciences, is not so in Botany, it is much better
to wait a considerable time for some work which may probably contain
it in its place.
        