RK-130

Springfield Jan. 30^th 1856

Robert Kennicott

Dear Sir, - Yours of the 11^th was duly received, much obliged to you for the information with regard to the White Bark Louse; the other scaly fellows are very scarce and I may not be able to send you any more for some time, though I shall remem-ber you when I do find them again. In the meanwhile look at the 224^th page of Harris' work ^{(I have obtained a copy since you wrote)} and you will find a description of some scaly fellows he found on a Grape Vine, which I think are similar to those I sent you. Last Spring I found a lot of Insects similar to these though much larger, strung along on a rope ^stretched across our Porch, to which a Grape Vine was trained, they were a foot from any part of the vine & so firmly imbedded in the rope that it was rather difficult to remove them. I examined the vine but found none on it. I have so much on my hands at present I do not know as I can promise you any collections of Animals &c, though I suppose

our animals & reptiles are about the same as those found in your neighborhood. How have your Fruit Trees withstood the extreme cold? Our Peach Trees are all dead, young & old, our Plum Trees are ditto, while a majority of our Apple Trees (young Trees just coming into bearing, old ones not injured much as I can see) if not dead are pretty badly used up I am afraid; though the Apple Trees we received of you last Fall and set out the same time, do not appear to be injured, the Peach Trees we "[Illegible] in" & earthed up well about them, so that only the tops are killed. Our Thermometer stood at 27 below at sun rise. I see by the Prairie Farmer you had quite a body of snow to protect your Trees (we had about two inches) so I hope your nursery Peach Trees are not much injured, Plum Trees also, of which please request Charlie to inform me as we would like to replace our dead ones. I have not seen or heard of an insect on the Osage Orange, nor do I wish to, for we have a mile & a half of the hedge & are calculating to set out as much more

Enclosed I send an article you may insert in the Farmer if you please Yours &c L. C. Francis