RK-301

Sunday May 3^d 1857.

Dear Bob: -

I was right glad to get your letter which did me much good in several ways. 1st it did me good to feel assured that you had some sympathy with & for me in my exertions to render our home confortable & pleasant & to relieve poor old fathers mind of a portion of the load of axiety which has lately so sadly weighed down his spirits. I myself feel quite hopeful in spite of the small amount of sales & the large amount of debts I think our prospects are cheering & though we shall make nothing this season we are laying the foundation for future comfort if not wealth. The sales so far have reached about $1200,00 besides which we have exchanged to the amount of $200, more with other [illegible] & what is more to the purpose these exchanges are all valuable & so far entirely satisfactory. Father is a little afraid that we have purchased too largely of Barry but I have no fears on that head - for you know the saying nothing venture nothing

[illegible]

Evergreens are worth a dollar a piece in lots of 25 picked trees we have sold the lot in the orchard & the best are all on hand yet It will be safe to move them for several weeks yet for nothing except gooseberries & currants have started at all. Plenty of fine apple trees, pears, peaches & quinces left Choice currants - and nearly 10,000 strawberries best sort the latter at from $1. to $2. per 100 The varieties are Necked Pine. Gar. Scarlet. M^cAvoys Superior all excellent. We can supply Dahlias @ $5. per doz. for strong whole roots choicest sorts. Plenty of good Perpetual roses left

Rider

I cant resist the temptation of adding what M^r Hinde used to call a Rider. I shall give you some items. The P. F. has accepted my proposition. I am to have the $3. per. column. This comes from Wright himself. I wrote the first column under the contract between sunset & midnight. the first article I ever wrote in the night. - I feel like myself since I have taken to Paddy work in the nursery. - I have bought a $40. gun of Abbey to be paid for in shrubbery.

Snipe are abundant but Uncle Flint is lazy & not well. I never saw such quantities of Robins as we had here last week there was litterally thousands of them. - Bruno is doing a great business in the Nat catching line. - Why dont you answer the articles assailing Infant Jawbones? Mercury at 33 this morning warm & pleasat now at 10 [illegible]

Charlie

win. Our purchases have all been judicious and I believe are sure to pay well.

The local custom as usual amounts to just nothing at all; the Evergreens are the salvation of us just as I prophezied they would be. Our expenses for men &c are not near as great as they were last year. We have hired but two loads carried to town & have paid no workman more than 75[cents] per day. The present mercenary forces amounts to only 4 individuals 3 of whom are veterens [illegible] have [illegible] proved worthy of the service. You will be surprised to learn that we have nearly all the old peach stumps up. Have made several hundred feet of drain & last night had cleared off every order on hand and all within a little over two weeks. -

Your letter to father ^{or at him} seemed to do him much good & I am rejoiced to say that he is more like his former self these last few days than I have seen him before in many a day. I actually caught him rubbing his hands & scratching his head yesterday unmistakable signs of returning health. A week ago he was very irratable and kept continually blowing myself & the Major up in a manner hard to bear

Major has worked like a "trojan". You would laugh to see how father & he badger me occassionally. They cant keep cool even in such freezing weather as we have had all the spring. But of a verity the Major has proved himself to be of the right metal & made of the stuff that knows not how to shrink. He is right there every time & takes as much interest in the nursery as myself do though he professes to hate the business most cordially.

We have found out a new way of packing. We now make light boxes of thin cheap boards braced & banded with iron hoops which are very strong, cheap, safe, & ship shape looking & save nearly half the cost & more than half the worry of packing in the old barbarous way. You will see a specimen in the one sent Col. Ashley I made & packed four larger boxes than that in a single forenoon. I hope the Col. will like his things they are all choice & we should have been glad to have sent him more only it was too late for Dicentras, Corydalis & such like herbaceous plants. If you possibly can I want you to make some arrangement with some one who knows to collect for us a few dozen or more plants of Spigelia Marylandica it is ordered this spring by every one & now have none left. We would pay well for it in cash or exchange.

I will write you again.

PS. N.B. Write the Major)

Brother Charlie