Botanists -- United States -- Correspondence; Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 -- Correspondence
Brown came to the museum this morning with a copy of a curious late
paper of Schleiden (which I had seen before) on the Development of the
Embryo, with a parcel of his own notes on the same subject made in 1810,
1812, 1815, etc., which did not altogether correspond. Brown thinks much
of Schleiden as an observer. He read me many of his old notes, and the
subject took him to speak of his discoveries with regard to the embryos
of Pinus. To explain to me as he went on he drew the diagram on the
inclosed slip of paper, and pointed out to me how to observe in our
species of Pinus. This will refresh my memory as to all he told me, so
pray keep it safely. There is much very curious matter now afloat about
the process of impregnation and the early development of embryo, which I
am accumulating, as much as I can, for future use. Pray tell Dr. Perrine
that the gardeners and botanists here insist by acclamation almost that
there is no such thing as acclimation in the vegetable kingdom.
What a pickle the Linnæan Ascyrum is in! I wish I had room to tell you.
TO MRS. TORREY.
Tuesday morning, two o’clock A.M., March 14, 1839.
I have just finished packing up, being about to start for Boulogne in
steamboat at nine o’clock this morning, and I must now hastily close my
letters. This, or rather yesterday, has been a busy day with me. I
started in the morning to have a look at a few more things of Pursh’s at
Lambert’s, but he kept me longer than I liked. He found somewhere a
small parcel of plants collected by Eschscholz in Kotzebne’s voyage, who
sent them to Lambert. Lambert gave me all the North American ones, few
to be sure, but interesting. From Lambert’s I returned by way of the
Horticultural Society, to bid good-by to Lindley and Bentham, but the
latter insists upon coming up in the morning to my lodgings to see me
off. I have made a fortunate acquisition for him. He told me he saw, a
few days ago, at an auction some copies of Richard’s fine work on the
Coniferæ, but an engagement at the time prevented him from staying to
buy a copy of the work for himself, which he imagined would be sold
cheap. Mr. Putnam found out who bought up these copies, and obtained one
at nearly the price at which they were sold. I shall have the pleasure
of presenting it to Bentham this morning when he calls. I went to the
British Museum, worked hard until four o’clock; but was not able quite
to finish, so I left my copy of Gronovius, in which I was making notes,
with Mr. Bennett to keep for me until my return in the autumn, and took
leave of Brown and Bennett. Went to Dr. Boott’s; saw Mrs. and Miss
Boott, who insisted upon giving me a note of introduction to a friend of
theirs in Florence; went to the City, dined with Putnam, down to
Well-close Square, took my tea, and bid good-by to Ward and family, and
Mr. Quekett....
TO THE MISSES TORREY.
PARIS, March 18, 1839, Monday evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account