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Waveland Dec 27 87
Dear Charles and all,
I received your [welcome?] letter in due time, and we was all glad to hear from you, and that you was all [?]ing good health and that [?] got home safely. W are all quite well, but I cant relize that its winter and the year so near gone. Every thing is so well and green, the Hickory trees are coming out in their new coat of leaves, and citron and orange trees are coming in blossom. They are young trees and dont have many on Christmas. Herbert and I took a saile across the river wich is a mile
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to where a Bachelor lies. There I see bananas growing and nearly ripe tomatoes & ripe water melons. Every thing is so different hear from the north. The wind is blowing quite hard to day wich makes the river [?] up its waves quite lively. I can see a boate from hear along the shore anchored. It has ben thear all day. The river is to rough for them to sail. I wish you had some of the pine apples. We have more than we can use. Thear are late one that have bore fruite all winter. It is so[?] cool the thermometer is down to 62. I dont see any [mud?] hear, as I do in Oberlin clay mud. I doesnt geet mudy hear to sandy.
I wonder how you all spent Christmas. I hope it was pleasant. We had green turtle for dinner a very fashionable dish you know. I have eaten bear [or?] venison [?] wild duch since I am hear but I like venison and duck the best. The boate the boys made is done and gone to Lake North. It was well. It was finish with mahogany and curly pine. They seem to enjoy it very much having me with them. They think its so nice to have me get them dinners and suppers for them, breakfast they always get, till I am up, I think men wer never ment to keep house done. They need a house keeper to keep things in order and to
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mend their clothes. I can hear the ocean near. I wish you all a happy new year, and much love to all, from your Mother Bessey.
PS Let me hear [your?] [from?] I am alway glad to hear from you all and how the boys are progressing going to school.
M. B.
The boys send regards to all
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A. E. Blount, A. M., Professor of Agriculture, State Agricultural College.
Fort Collins, Colo., May, 17. 1887
Prof. C. E. Bessey; My dear Sir,
In [?]-[?] I notice your valuable and most excellent "Report on Forage Plants of the Prairies and Plains."
In my report from which you quite please notice the great injustices the printers did me.
On page 35, line 11 they make me say "[fourth?/fourty?] 7 2/3 feet". It should be "total 7 2/3 feet."
You do me the kindness to make the "7" a 1, for which many thanks.
Our whole reports are fearfully "butchered up" by the printesr, arising from not having been proof read.
I shall be very glad to see your [?] Report on Grasses when finished.
Very respectfully yours A. E. Blount.
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J. H. Sanders & Co., Publishers.
The Breeder's Gazette, Rooms 26-29 Merchants Building.
Chicago, Ill., April 18. 1887 188
Prof. Chas. E. Bessey, Lincoln, Neb.,
Dear Sir: :-
We are in receipt of yours of late date consenting to undertake the work of replying to such questions as may be submitted to you from this office relating to the culture of grasses, forage plants, etc., and in reply would state, that it is not customary for us to enter into relations of this nature without a more definite understanding as to compensation; and our reason for doing so in this case was the absence of any data from which an intelligent estimate could be made as to the extent of work to be performed. If you prefer however, to have the matter a little better understood before beginning, we should certainly be pleased to meet your views if possible in advance of any announcement of your connection with the paper. It might be that an agreed price per column of answers or other matter furnished might be determined upon and we are inclined to think this the fairest way of getting at the matter. If you will therefore, indicate about what you think your contributions would be worth upon that basis, we will consider the matter and hope that we may reach a