
          And I pray you will except all you deem requiring excuse
in this letter: for I know not that I have abused your time
and patience to little profit: and had it not been that
the encouragement you extended in your letter, was 
strengthened by the published notice to botanists at a distance
on the back of the 2nd n'o [number] of the Flora - I should hardly have
dared to commence an account of what wonders [crossed out: have]
(to me) have met me in nature's fairest works.
I am with respect your obed+. servt. 
Ed. Tuckerman [?]

Dr. Torrey
New York
PS. I lately recieved a very valuable package
which I supposed was owing to your kindness . It contained a paper
of yours, one of Dr. Gray's + one of Mr. Arnott's. I shall fully
appreciate the value of what I could not have otherwise
obtained. The paper of Mr. Arnott struck me as one of the
most elegant I had ever seen; and it must be pleasing
to American Botanists, to see some other than the "Claradindrum" [?]
which he mentions, or the out of the way shrubs that
Prof. Eaton describes, - consecrates to you. This
is indeed a return for my pamphlets. 
        