John Torrey letters, 1831-1873. Asa Gray correspondence files of the Gray Herbarium, 1820-1904. gra00078. Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University.

Mr. C. is wandering along the beach near the "Ocean House," just as the boat was returning from Red Bank on her way back, found a remarkable species of Pholas, & also a beautiful little bivalve shell lately described by young Conrad of Philadelphia in his new Conchological work. The unexpected acquistion induced him to remain, with the intention of coming up to-day. I left him one of my botanical books in which to place any interesting specimens he might observe.

Next season, unless you are better employed during your release from the Gymnasium, I must try and make some arrangement for your making a thorough exploration of the Pines. You might spend six weeks there & collect a vast number of specimens, at a moderate expense. I wish you would in the mean time endeavour to acquire the art of drawing plants. Confine your attention to this dept. of drawing & I am sure will make very fair representations of plants in the course of six months.

Try & send me those rare plants of which you made a memo= randum before the winter begins, & add to them whatever you may have received that you think would interests me.

I remain Dear sir Yours truly, J. Torrey

Dr. Gray.

Plants received from Dr. Gray. Sept. 1832

No. 1 Solidago nemoralis (puberula Nutt). No. 2, 3, 4 Undetermined {No.} 6. — axillaris No. 7. {Solidago} caesia? {No.} 7,8,9 Aster — {undetermined} 10. A. paniculatus, {No.} 11 A. corymbosus, 12. A. macrophyllus. "Carex lumosa var. ? Swamp near Utica" C. halseyana Dewey "Carex! Shore of {Lake} Erie. Probably a var. of C. lupulina. "C. lagopodioides C. festucacea, with more spiklets than usual.

PS. I have this moment received Mr. Schweinitz's long expected work on the Fungi of N. America. You may have seen it at Bethlehem. It forms the 2nd part of Vol. IV (N. series) of the Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. The author complains of some inaccuracies which it contains., the printing having been done in Philadelphia, so far from his residence that he could not correct the press. The work includes 3098 species & occupies 175 pages of closely printed 4to. with a plate of numerous figures. It will be difficult to procure it without purchasing the large volume of {which} it forms a part.

JT. ___ I have also {received} specimens of Erythraea pulchella from Flushing, Long Island, where it is abundant! We have now 2 {species} of the genus for our Flora — this & your E. centaurium

28 Dr. Asa Gray Gymnasium, Utica, New York

[postmark] NEW YORK SEP 17

Answered} Mar. 22} Medical College, N. York. Saturday eveng. March 1, 1834

Dear Doctor

I closed the Chemical course last evening & as you may suppose, I feel not a little relieved. Still I have an unpleasant task before me, — the examination of the candidates for the degree of M.D. By way of relieving the tedium, I mean to scribble a letter to you — though I pro= posed writing to you as soon as the College business was conclu= =ded. With Mr. Clark's assistance, & a little extra exertion on my own part, I was able to make all necessary preparations for the lectures. The young men behaved very well to the last hour.

I hope you had a pleasant journey home, & that you found all your friends in good health. Here, we continue very much as we were when you left us.

Within a week I have received some packages of plants 1. A choice collection from Prof. {Friedrich Ernst Ludwig von} Fischer of St. Petersburgh — chiefly collected in Siberia — all neatly labelled & Fischer's own name written on each paper! There are about four hundred plants in this lot — many of them species new to me — 2. A collection of very nice things from North Carolina — sent by the modest Mr. Moses A. Curtis — whose letters have amused you not a little. 3. A good collection from Florida — the parcel alluded to by Lt. {Roger} Alden as sent in his box of books. I only received it yesterday!

I received a few days ago a letter from Dr. {Harris} Loomis one of the compilers of the Newbern Catalogue, informing me that he had transmitted a small collection of plants to me principally species that I had marked in his list. The parcel is in town but it has not been called for yet.

Mr. H.B. Croom, the other author of the Catalogue has written to me from Tuscaloosa, informing me that he had taken up his residence in Florida & would collect plants for me as far as his feeble health & professional duties (as a lawyer?) would permit.

One of our students, who returns soon to New Orleans & has herborized with G.W. {George William} Clinton, volunteered to collect largely for me in Louisiana. I think he will not disappoint me. ___ I have received duplicate bills of lading of my plants &c shipped for me at Havre so long since — but the vessel which has the box on board (though long since due) has not yet arrived. I do not despair — but "hope deferred" &c. ___ Mr. {William} Oakes has written me a long letter. He is still working very leisurely at his New England Flora, but he will not publish in less than three years — not until I have come out with the synopsis. He complains, with good reason, of the great number of nominal species, with which our Floras are crowded, & says we must not spare them.

I do intend to cut them down without mercy & have already de= =cimated two or three regiments. in — ___ {John} LeConte was in the laboratory last week. He has received no answer to his enquiries respecting the Cavalry expedition. Neither has Maj. {Joseph} Delafield heard from Washington on the subject. ___ I have almost made up my mind to deliver a course of popular botanical lectures in the city, previous to my going to Princeton. My friends say that I shall succeed & that a choice class can be raised with a very little exertion. I shall probably lecture at Niblo's Saloon — a very respecta= =ble place, & conveniently situated for the rich people of the "West End." It is said that I can have the hall of Columbia College to lecture in. This would save me at least one hundred dollars, but I could hardly expect so large a class there, as at Niblo's where I have completed my arrangements. I will write to you again if I do lecture in New York. I shall not leave the city for Princeton till the middle of May next.

Yours truly John Torrey

P.S. Monday Morning. We are all well this morning & are chatting as usual a few minutes after breakfast. The children often talk about you. They say that they do not have such pleasant rides on your back as they used ot have. Mrs. T. desires me to send you her kind regards, & Edward wishes to be remembered to you & says that he thinks you might have written to him ere this. J.T.

28 Asa Gray, M.D. Utica, New York

[postmark] NEW-YORK MAR 3