
          Louisville, Ky. Augt. 23d 1847

My dear Sir,

I have just placed in the hand of Morton
& Griswold, Booksellers of this place a large bundle of plants
directed to “Drs. Torrey & Gray, care of Wiley & Putnam, New-York”,
which they promise me to forward by the earliest opportunity,
and being in frequent communication with their correspondents
in N.Y. I hope that opportunity will speedily occur, and that
the parcel will safely reach you in a reasonable time.

This parcel consists entirely of Mexican plants, collected
by my friend Dr. Josiah Gregg, whose interesting book on the
“Commerce of the Prairies” you may have read. This gentleman
having attended a course of Lectures in our Institution a few
years ago, and being about to return to the Mexican provinces, 
I prevailed upon him to undertake a collection of the plants
of that country, the fruits of which are in part this present
bundle, which he was so kind as to present to me, and which
now, with great pleasure, I hand over to Dr Gray and yourself, in
the hope that it may contribute something towards the completion 
of your invaluable and much needed Flora of N. America.

Besides the present parcel Dr Gregg informs me that
he has presented a similar one to Dr. Engelmann, and another to
the American Institute of New York, with particular instructions
that it should be made available to and Botanist who might desire
to inspect them; and it is, therefore, more than probable you
may
        