voured all the time I have been in this country, to collect the most useful culinary vegetables, which I freely impart among my neighbours, and. frequently attend to their right management of them. I am led to believe that the nectarine and apricot would succeed here, if I could procure some of the stones. Gooseberries we have none near me, except a species of wild prickly ones, that grow promiscuously in the woods. Water and musk-melons I have had ripe all last month in my garden, of a large size. I perceive the muskmelon, this season, is not so fine flavoured as I have had them, owing, I suppose, to my not having it in my power to change the seed for several years past. Asparagus is larger, and shoots up quicker than I ever had it in England. I am removed from my former residence, to a small town on the bank of the Ohio river, where I have about two acres of garden: the soil is rich. On the north side of the river opposite to my house, I have some land, which I have appropriated for fruit-trees. I have seen several instances of peach-trees, raised from the stones, bearing good fruit in two years. Apples are raised the same way, and produce fruit in four or five years, from the pips; some pips from some of your apples might be the means of introducing better sorts in this country. I have some hopes you will instruct your gardener to save me a small quantity of different culinary seeds, and forward them by the first ship sailing from London to Philadelphia. I remember somewhere to have read that the late Dr. Franklin, while resident at Paris, was applied to by a countryman of his, for the loan of some money; the Doctor sent ten Louis-d'or, but observed, that it was his desire, that as soon as he was able to repay it, he would lend it to any other person that was in the same situation; and by this means, if it was not stopped by a knave, it might be of use to many; which method I shall adopt with any seeds you send me, which is the best return at this time I am able to promise you. The former part of the summer with us was cool and showery. All last month was dry and warm; my thermometer, by Fahrenheit, was in the middle of the day, in the shade, as high as 92. The crops of grain in this country, are this year unusually large. A worm, not unlike the caterpillar that breeds on cabbages with you, made great devastation with the grass in the meadows; their progress was like that of a destroying army; in some meadows they left the surface of the ground quite naked. The leaves of Indian corn properly cured, are thought better for cows than clover, or timothy-hay. The State of Ohio, in which I live, has not begun to be improved (except in some detached spots), above six years. About twelve miles north-west of me, on the waters of Bull Creek, there is a large settlement of Friends; they have three places of public worship, which are well attended. By their. œconomy and industry, they have made the wilderness to blossom as the rose. Some of them in four years have cleared near a hundred acres of their farms, which generally are a mile square, or 640 acres, purchased by them at two dollars per acre, and would now sell at ten dollars. WM. C. LARWILL, Post-master, Fawcett's Town, Ohio. LETTER CXCV. Rev. Dr. WARNER to Dr. LETTSOM. Gloucester, Oct. 16, 1787. A thousand thanks to you, thou dear Doctor! Thou art surely the pleasantest man that ever was, to have any thing to do with. If one is dying, thou revivest him; and if one asks thee a favour, it is not only instantly granted, but in such a manner as to exceed the favour itself: Materiam superabat opus. Had the seeds been seeds of gold, still would thy most pleasant letter have been of better price. In thy wit and thy benignity thou resemblest mine Host here. See on the other side a picture for which you might either sit, drawn by an abusive Bard, who takes a pride in girding at me, calling me monk, and fugitive, as thou callest me-but truly enoughvagrant and beggar. This Bard, forsooth, was angry, because I did not stay to do his commissions in the sink of sin and sea-coal, and for my punishment sent me these bad lines, as he calls them, to read. Pray show them to our dear Brother John*, for though he will make no bad lines of his own, he likes to see such bad lines of other people-but they are to be made no other use of for the world. Ah, slippery Monk! to leave thy book and bell, -- Yet, Reverend Fugitive, uncensur'd roam, So much for pleasantry: and now for the sad part of the story. I must to-morrow morning set out for Bath, to pay my last duty to my poor departed friend Sir Richard Hoare, by attending his remains to their place of rest at Barnes in Surrey; which I suppose will make for me a whole week of melancholy work; and all for the want of your being called in; for he was a young man --but of my age-and had no right yet to go "From this Earth's thraldom to the joys of Heav'n." Say for me to Cordelia-if it be possible-say to her, inexpressible things-say to her at least, John Nichols, Esq. ED. that her old Lear says-for so young I believe, do I appear to her—“ Cordelia shall be Queen!" As soon as I have said dust to dust, I will come and see if I can't make a little smoke amongst you. Adieu, my Dear Doctor! I am truly, your FRIAR JOHN. LETTER CXCVI. J. NICHOLS, Esq. to Dr. LETTSOM *. Leicester, Sept. 7, 1795. After three or four days hard fatigue in the exploring of Antiquarian Mines, on returning to Leicester through perilous roads at one in the morning, I find a large packet of letters, many of them from those I esteem-particularly one which I read with singular pleasure, from the man who unites the two qualities for which Johnson commended Dr. James and Mr. Garrick-from him who lengthens, and him who gladdens life.Yes, my good Doctor, I will certainly meet you at Philippi; aye, and philip your beef and your wine afterwards; and look forward with satisfaction to our committees in that Elysium you so plea *This Letter is an answer to a playful Letter from Dr. Lettsom, dated August 31, 1795, inserted in Mr. Nichols's "Illustrations of Literature," vol. II. p. 683. ED. |