
          Cambridge October 11th 1821
Dear Friend

It is now a long time since any communications have passed
between us. How it has happened that our correspondence has been
discontinued I do not know. The last letter which I received from
you was dated April 11th 1820 and in that you charge me with
neglecting my friends. Perhaps I was liable to the charge and must
say I regret it, but in my answer of October 18th 1820 I stated my
willingness to [correspond?] more regularly with you and regretted my inability
to communicate information which would make my correspondence
more desirable. Although I had not received any 
answer from you I intended to have written you last spring, but
was prevented, and although you have not yet written me I 
embrace this opportunity of sending you a few lines. I forwarded
you an imperfect catalogue of the plants of this vicinity & it was
my intention to have sent you one more complete this fall, but
the person by whom I intended to forward it got to New York so 
much earlier than was expected, that it is not yet prepared.
The Trifolium hybridum, the seeds of which you had the [?]
to send me, although soon in an unfavorable situation
had grown very well and it is my [?] it might be very 
useful in this part of the country. In the package I found
a few seeds of a Tetradynamous plant which I have not yet
been able to determine. I expect to be able to forward you a
specimen of it. Although I still continue the study of botany
my progress in collecting specimens is very slow this part of the 
country being nearly exhausted. I have a few which I intend
sending you by the first opportunity.
I have very little to write you & my principle object in now
writing is to inform you that I have not yet forgotten you
& to request you when convenient to send me a few lines
and to inform me what youa re doing & how the Lyceum 
succeeds in collecting specimens.
Your friend
Matthew Stevenson

Dr. John Torrey, N.Y.
        