RKBP-218

Mt Auburn Christian Co Ill May 15 1857 Messrs J A & C Kennicott, I received your letter & catalogue but too late to send you an order this Spring. Messrs L Ellsworth & Co (Du Page County Nursery) have an agent here and I ordered a bill of trees from them. I did not order more than half I wanted and they sent me only about two thirds of my order. They sent me very good trees. They were good size and the cherry trees especially were excellent. The apple trees were tolerably good sized but very ugly & crooked not near so good as they have sent to others here It was something of an object to

to have them [insert: as] straight as possible for a yard in town. Our people here have been pretty severely duped by Eastern nurseries and travelling Tree pedlers and many of them have lost all confidence in nursery men. The trees Mr Ellsworth has sent here have done much towards correcting their bad feelings & suspicions and to create a demand for good trees. Mr Ellsworths agent is living in the county on a farm which he seldom leaves and few persons know he is an agent yet he has sold about four hundred dollars worth of Trees this spring and last fall I could have sold every tree I got twice over the day they came and at almost any price I would have asked for them Trees could not have been

better packed, nor the selections (I left him to select for me) suited better, nor the whole bill (with the single exception of the crooked apples) have satisfied me better than Mr Ellsworth has yet I suppose your nursery is as good and its proprietors as reliable and that in every respect can do as well for us here as any other while it has the advantage of being nearer and more convenient. I shall send you an order this fall and if you think it would be any advantage to [illegible phrase] have an agent here and see fit to let me act for you [strikethrough] I can send you orders for Two or three hundred dollars worth of trees for my neighbors this fall If you feel disposed to make any such arrangement sent me some more of your catalogues

and let me know by letter something about when to send orders what terms to sell trees on [illegible] Mr Ellsworths agent here requires money to accompany the order from men who are not responsible From others when the trees are delivered or [illegible] reliable men who are perfectly responsible & punctual he gives a little time if they want it. I am well acquainted in this neighborhood and think I cal sell a good [illegible phrase] you. I can give you no reference for I know of no one with whom we are both acquainted. Yours [illegible] [illegible] H Laurence MD.

Mt Auburn, Ill

J Kennicott Grove Nursery West Northfield Cook County Ill