76
Coulter to Bessey 17-IX-1881
2
Botanical Gazette.
Museum of Wabash College.
Crawfordsville, Ind., 188
Gulf and continue south the same western line. That would add to the above list Ind. Terr., Jerr., Ark., Texas & Louisiana. I am rather inclined is the former, though there are many reasons why it would be useful to include Ind. Terr. & Ark. The work would be a composite affair, different orders being assigned to the most suitable & & available botanists, some one of us of course to have general oversight & direction concerning the make up, press work etc.– It would necessarily be largely a compilation, but a very useful one & if taken up by some enterprising school firm would rapidly win its way. Of course all such work would pass under the eyes of Dr. Gray & Watson that the systematic work of the whole country could go on uniformly. I write to you now to ask a full and candid opinion of
77
to Bessey 17-IX-1881
3
Botanical Gazette.
Museum of Wabash College.
Crawfordsville, Ind., 188
the whole scheme. You are in the field with a capital text book & we all think it is time for a capital [western?] ------------ I have scores of correspondents writing [sic.] for the best manuals to use in all the states I have enumerated. What can I answer them? Botanical work there is most discouraging and any help that is needed should be supplied. Please give your opinion of the need & feasibility of such a work & all you think about it. This is of course [inter?] [?]–
Sincerely yrs–
John M. Coulter.
P. S. Maybe you know of some one at work upon just such a book.
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Curtis
Key West, Fla. Decr. 31, 1881.
Prof. C. E. Bessey:
Dear Sir — On the 28th inst. I shipped my 5th [?] from J'ville & now am here prepared to start to-morrow on my 3d & last cruise.
Your set was sent to the care of Mr. patterson, prepaid to [Ognawka?]. It contains 200 sps. besides a few extraneous ones, which you will probably recognize.
Please [?] by M. [A?]. payable to Mr. F. A. Curtis, Jacksonville.
I hope you will not get tired of waiting for those wood species. I have 50 or 60 kinds for you at home, & expect to finish
79
the set by April — will write to Prof. Budd presently.
I wish I had time to write for the scientific periodicals but I am overtasked with field work & am not given time enough to attend to my private affairs.
During the past two years I have been employed by the Census Dept. (under Prof. Sargent) in studying the Southern Forest trees & preserving specimens of them. I am also collecting a set of timber specimens for the Central Park Museum. The specimens I have sent in Prof. Sargent [?] by far the best he ever saw. They are 5 ft. long & from 2 ft. to 6 in. in diameter.
My explorations have added many new trees to the U. S. [?]
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including 2 or 3 Palms, one being the magnificent [?] or [?] Palm, of which there are considerable forests west of the Everglades. I first found it on the 15th of July, 1880.
The remarkable shrub which you will find in [?] [?] among the [?], lettered B, I think, Prof. Gray finds to be Catesbaea parviflora (near Randia).
Next year I intend to spend five months in the Smoky Mts. of E. Tennessee.
Yours very truly A. H. Curtis. A. H. Curtis