RKBP-421

Green Castle Aug. 18 1858 Dr John A. Kennicott Dear Sir, I ought to be ashamed of myself for dealying to answer your letter of the 16th [illegible]. [forose] long-- but we have been so hard at work, at noon and night I have been tired and felt unequal to the tasks of writing a letter_ I have put it off from day to day until a month has slipped away. The heavy and long [continued] rains during the early [illegible] have doubled our work, so that it has been very hard on us. The "times" have rather [ground] us-- we manage to get along but I can hardly tell you how what you [say] of yourself will

apply about as well to us. We have not paid our debts, neither has anybody sued us. We have stock enough to sell in the fall to square all up, if we can only sell it and get the money How that will be the fall will tell. The bag of peach stones you speak of came from us. I hope they did well. We tried them before sending them and they appeared [ser] . We sent about half of what we had. Wet weather preven prevented our [planting] the rest, and none of them sprouted in the head where they were left-- so that I have feared yours may also home failed to sprout. I suppose though, that the wet Wethe weather acting upon the [may] rotted there out, and that if they had [illegible].

planted they would have been all right The mill have about 2500 peach trees to sell this fall-- more I fear than we will sell in this market-- so that we could let you have some at the usual rates. They are making a very [illegible] thrifty grouwth, though on account of the unfavorableness of the early part of the season I do not think they will be quite as large as they[ we all] are. Many are of the leading [beet] varieties, such as are most popular in the western market. We have also do offer this fall some 1200 sweet gum tree, ([illegible] [styaciflued]) 4 to 5 feet in height, which have been cultivated in the nursey some three years. About three hundred tulip trees from

two to four feet in height, and some 2 or 3 thousand soft maples from three to five feet height, cell of which we would be glad to sell [at] as wresonable rates as could be asked. We would be glad to supply you or any of your friends from this stock. The trees have all been in the nursery from two to three years, as that there would be no danger of their failing. The firm of [Larabee] & place was [disolved] last June Mr. De N. Holmes is now in partnership with me in the room of his place, under the name and style of Larrabee & Holmes. Yours Respectfully, N. H. Larrabee, for Larrabee & Holmes