D.S. Howard to father, May 29, 1853

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Sunday, May 29th, 1883.[?]

Dear Father,

You cannot imagine with what pleasure and satisfaction I recieved your very kind letter of May 17th for which I thank you a thousand times I am very happy to know that you were all well and some what surprised to learn that Homer was about to be married in California.  I thank you very much for your good advice to me in your letter & I will endeavor to improve by it.  I am glad to know that prospects are so good for the fruit crop.  You want me to describe the country Geographically, Geologically, Mineralogically & Botanically &c. I fear I should not give you a very good description if I should attempt it.  though I would be very happy to comply with your wishes & I will try to do so.

Its Geography I cannot say much about it is a very rough rocky country very new generally full of different kinds of oer[ore] & different specimens of stones & silver is quite plenty in the copper mines. Iron is very abudant in this vicinity. Copper is not found in this immediate vicinity. Aggets[agates] are quite common in many places on the lake shore & many other things.  I know but little of the Botanical productions from not being here but a short time & the plants & shrubs are not fairly up yet.  I can however say what something of the timber &c.  The timber is all pine spruce poplar balsam hemlock cedar birch and some oak and [paper torn] places.  The weeds & grass