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Sandy Spring, P. Off 3d Mo. 30 1839
not Harewood, residence

Respectd fds
Wm Prince & Sons

Yr two favours of of 19 & 22nd came to
hand to day — my friends, Bartletts advise me of the
arrival of the box in Balto. — & suppose it for me — why did
you not put my name on it? — They opened the box to know
its contents — I shall send for it day after tomorrow — and
hope to find the cuttings to please, as from your representations
I do not doubt they will — I shall remit long before
1st May as I sold for Cash—

If I had 15 or 20,000 good cuttings I could
sell them in a day or two at 2 1/4¢ to 2 1/2¢ P [per] bud
& possibly 3¢ — I can now buy in Balto what many consider
good cuttings at 2 1/4¢ bud; but they are smaller than I
like to plant —

I am so frequently interupted in my various
engagements, by person calling on me for information as to
prices of Morris Mult. & wish to know where they should buy — &c &c, that it occurs to me to propose
to you to send me 20 to 30,000 cuttings (i e buds) of prime
quality, to sell on your account — provided you have them
to spare — I can do much better with them on the spot, than
by ordering them — indeed many will buy, that would not
order for fear of delay, & also not seeing what they do order —
One of the persons already ordered for, wishes 500 instead
of 200 $ as ordered — but will not let me order again.

If you send them, do it at once, via Rail
Road — You will of course pay expenses (transportation only) &
allow 10 pct [percent] commission — I will do the best I can for you
& have no doubt, better than by ordering them.

To guard against future difficulty or misunderstanding,
you must agree to my counting — for two
reasons — the first is, I shall of necessity have to count them
in making sales — and secondly it is neither to my
interest or inclination to do it wrong — and I will effectually
guard against the possibility of making a mistake.

Do not understand me as casting any reflection on you.
I intend no such thing — You may possibly make a
mistake, (I know you have made them) & 10 pct [percent] is no object, if this is required.

Notes and Questions

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PrenthgiLW

There's an interesting blog about 4 generations of Princes and the Wm Prince & Sons company:
https://horticultural-history.blogspot.com/2015_02_15_archive.html

PrenthgiLW

I was looking through an 1834 Wm Prince & Company seed catalogue for clues to what [M?][M?] - the 2nd an abbreviation - might be, but got no ideas yet. The link, at the same blogspot as above, and title are given below. Also below is an interesting paragraph from the remarks section of the catalogue, with relevance to this letter.

https://horticultural-history.blogspot.com/2015/02/long-red-studley-and-1834-wmprince-seed.html

1834 Annual Catalogue
of esculent vegetable and other seeds of the choicest imported and American varieties.
Linnaean Botanic Garden and Nurseries
Wm. Prince & Sons, Proprietors
Flushing, near New-York

In Remarks section:

The Proprietors have further to state, that their Fruit and Ornamental Trees, &c. are of large size and vigorous growth, and superior to any before offered to the public. The Establishment contains at the present period more that a million Trees and Plants, and the Proprietors are willing to enter into arrangements of the most liberal description both as to prices and credit with all such persons as desire large quantities of Trees, &c. and with those proprietors of Nurseries who wish to extend their collections, and such other persons as wish to establish new Nurseries, they will enter into arrangements on terms which allow ample time for advantageous reimbursement. - Any persons who are desirous to act as agents for receiving orders for Trees, in towns where no agency at present exists, will please to communicate their views in regard thereto.

PrenthgiLW

With respect to [fa?], which is plural and could be entered as [fa?s], and the first sentence: In the day, replies to letters (implicit) often opened with the simplest form, "Yours of [date] came to hand today." For items received, other than letters, referred specifically to the item, such as, "Your check of [date] came to hand today." Edward clearly received something from Wm Prince & Sons on two separate days, but what?

PrenthgiLW

[fa?]/[fa?s] is "favours"