Charles Bessey, Letters, 1881

[1]

Herbarium of Harvard University, Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass.

Dec. 35. 1881.

My dear Bessey

Thanks for your [?] 22d to which I reply promptly, and [?] up my mind about the matter. For what you write comes [?] to ideas which I had pondered & about which I felt a [?] [?] in Goodale's hands when I [sic.] went abroad.

I was waiting for a chance to get at – what is much needed – a new ad of my Manual, [?] a new book to take in put its place, and I feel that it cannot wait long. My idea was, [?] if Chapman did not get out a new ad – or [era?] if he [?] if I could do it without [?] in his way – to expand the area [nor?] the S. Atlantic States & [nor?] the States

[A. Gray to C. E. Bessey

[2]

bordering the Mississippii & Missouri.

I see, if you expant out on to the plains, it will not add very much. I must, as soon as I had printed to C[?] (part II of Vol. I.) for [?] [Farlow?] to put this [?] [maybe?].

If I rightly understand, you ask whether the Manual in [pin?] type, might not be extended to Atlantic N. J. Botany [?] which was my idea. Only I thought of a Plain & Mountain Botany as well as a Pacific Botany, to come one of these days – after me. Yet I see the thing had better be 1 Atlantic & 2 Pacific, giving the latter a wide range in longitude.

Well, the Plains Manual,

which Coulter has [?] the [?] [?] of; would not [pay?] [of?] [?]. One could barely get a publisher for it – the Comp. of Atlantic Botany would in a certain degree. W. [?] will fall in to my suggestion we will take it up, with Mr. Watson's [keep?], & use the [keep?] we can get.

We want much to work all together on it.

Cordially Yours

Asa Gray

P. S. I paid Chapman — wants only to get out a supplement — keeping the [?] [stereotype?] plants, for the book [of?] and new [ind?]. So I shall not be treading on his ground.

"An easy [notice?] of your [journal?] is contemplated, the Geographical [?] [?] England so as to include the country from the Atlantic to the Plains (thus including the prairies [proper?]), and a companion volume is to be made to include the remainder of the country,"

For new editions an attempt will be made by the use of thin paper, narrow margins etc. to supply the [cut?] of a pocket manual, a part of the edition to be so prepared."

[4]

Minneapolis Minn. Jan'y 17.

Prof. C. E. Bessey:

Dear Sir — Yr letter demanded a prompter reply than this. We are very glad to get a favorable response to our request for aid in [the?] projected school [the?] [this?] vacation. The one thing that now causes this little delay in making the arrangements is the question of funds for its support