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In sending specimens of plants for investigation it is desirable to have the leaves, flowers, and fruit; and in the case of bulbous plants, the bulbs, also. When they are sent from a distance it is best to prepare the specimens by drying them under pressure between folds of absorbent paper, otherwise the parts shrink and break to as to be hardly recognizable. When the dried plants are sent they should be protected from breakage in the mail by being inclosed between pieces of stiff pasteboard. Packages weighing less than four pounds can be sent by mail at the rate of one cent per ounce. Write the name of the sender on the outside. In the letter accompanying the speciemens state where collected, the date, and any other particulars of the plant, whether reputed poisonous, pestiferous, medicinal, or useful.
United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Botany, Washington, D. C., Jany 5th 1885
Prof. C.E. Bessey University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb. Dear Sir
I have the pleasure of informing you that in accordance with your request our Botanical division has prepared for the Herbarium of your Institution a box of dried plants, consisting of over 2000 species, partly of American and partly of foreign kinds, which I trust will prove an acceptable contribution.
The box, weighting probably over 100 pounds, will be forwared by Express.
Respectfully Geo B. Loring Commissioner
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University of Nebraska, Lincol[n]
Department [of] Botany Jany 24 1885.
Dear Sir
I have the pleasure of [sic.] acknowledging the receipt of a box of dried plants for the herbarium of this University, which arrived some days ago in good order.
I have informed the chancellor of this generous consignment, and he wishes me to convey to you his hearty thanks, in which I beg to join.
With sincere respect, I am very truly yours to [?] Charles E Bessey
To the Honorable Commissioner of Agriculture Washington D.C.
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Brock, Nebr., Dec. 21st, 1885.
Prof. Charles E. Bessey, Dear Sir,
Your card is at hand. I am not well informed in State news, hence my mistake. We will change the time to January 26 to 29, which I infer will suit you for you did not say you were engaged at that time. Though it is very agreeable to have the light of the moon at our meeting[,] it is more important have to an agricultural light.
Please write me as to the propsed change and your topics.
Truly Yours Benton Aldrich
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Webster City, Iowa, Jan 15, 1885 Dear Professor,
I herewith return your box of slides, & hope they will reach you in good order. I am sincerely obliged to you for the favor.
There is no news here. We are having a terribly cold, dull, hard winter, with hard, close times. But for the mail matter & books it would be very monotonous. As it is, I do not see any lonesome days. F[?] is teaching our [?] School. He talks of going to the South in the Spring. I am expecting to go to N. Y. Botson, &c in a couple of weeks. Should see Beal when in his [bail-wick?].
I really wish you could send me several letters of leading botanists,
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for my collections. Did you [?] [?] that you had, or could, or would spare a letter by Sachs? I have several by Am. [?], one by Engelmann, & [to be?] soon to home and by [?]. I believe my 2 collections will be the largest inthe U. S. in the course of 3 or 4 years if I live. I hope your [horticul?] will sometime be expand, [so?] [?] even have a couple. There is a fine specimen of your writing in each collection. I want to know when & where you were born, educated, what books & monographs you have written, &c, &c to print with the letter that goes with these matters.
I was glad to learn that you were so well pleased with your new home. I hope it will be all you possibly hope for. O! if I were [librarian] [permanently?] of such an institution! I would give my library for a good situation of that [land?]. I want that kind of [?], [?] [?] [?] [?]. Kind regards to Mrs. Bessey, & say all the best things in the world to the dear little boys. God bless them ever & always!
Sincerely yrs. [?] Aldrich