Charles Bessey, Letters, 1891

Franklin, Nebr. Apr. 22, 1891.

Prof. Bessey Lincoln, Nebr. Dear Sir: I send you by this mail specimens of a plant that grows here. We could not fully decide what it is. Some make it Erigenia bubbosa, others, [penc......] nudicaule, and others Cymopterus glomeratus or [moutanus]. Will you please inform us what it is and oblige? It flowers very early, sometimes the last of March. They are about all gone now. Resp. J. T. McKinnon. Princ. Schools. Cymopterus glomeratus

Franklin, Nebr. July 4, 1891. Prof. Chas. E. Bessey, State University. Dear Sir:- Your favor of May 20 was received in due time. Was very glad that you criticised my list of Woods etc. I would have given attention to your letter sooner and sent you specimens of roses, but I have been away from home a good deal, and I was very busy at the close of my school. Regarding Salix vestita or "Diamond Willow", I think that there can be no doubt but that we have it here in abundance. Nearly half of the men and boys

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in town have canes made of it. Of the Vitis aestivalis, would say that I never have seen any myself that I was sure of. Many have told me that there are two kinds of grapes here, one that gets ripe early about Sep. and another that does not ripen till frost-. What I have seen answers to the description of cordifolia. If I can find any specimens that seem to be aestivalis will send you some. Regarding Rhus Venenata: When the pupils were collecting specimens last fall, one of the boys brought a specimen of a slender shrub with pinnate compound leaves of 7-9 leaflets and the whole description answered

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so well to R. venenata that we called it that. Of course we had no flowers. The specimen was found on low ground. That is all I have seen of it. Yes, we have considerable wild Juglans nigra here. I have made considerable inquiry since receiving your letter as to whether those which I supposed to be wild had not really been planted, and I find that there is much more of it here than I supposed. One man told me that on 40 acres of timber on the river bottom he had not fewer than 100 quite large trees (large enough for fence posts) and there are stumps of many more that have been cut down in an early day.

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I have made inquiries regarding the "Sand Plum" and find several persons who have seen it in Kansas, but none who know if it in Nebr. with certanity. I have not had time to collect specimens of the various kinds of roses. Presume it is too late now to get them all this year. Very truly, J. T. McKinnon