Charles Bessey, Letters, 1881

9 Waverly Pl. New York Oct. 1[5?]/81

My dear Sir

[Mr.?] Foote is very interesting. [I am?] afraid that the [Sunbloom?] ruled him out to be an introduced species, since there are so many foreign plants brought to our state every year in ships' ballast. One of the Long Island Stations, however, was pretty far inland. The discovery settles the fact that the plant is an American. You have noticed that I made a call in the last [number?] for plant names. No one seems to care about

this matter but professional botanists — the younger class of botanists seems to think a plant has no right to a vulgar name! My collection is now quite large. Can you aid me with Iowa names? I see [sic.] from one of your plant lists that [Amarantus abbr?] is called in Iowa, "Tumble-weed". What is the application?

Very truly Yrs W. R. Gerard

Goodale, G. L.

Personal

Botanic Garden of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Aug. 19 1881

Dear Prof. Bessey,

On the 3d [prop.?/prox.?] I expect to sail for Germany to be gone a year with my family, chiefly for Mrs. Goodale's health. As you perhaps know, after the death of my [?] in APr., Mrs. G. & the children were very ill, & have not yet fully recovered. We expect that a change of scene and air will do much for them.

I write now to say that if I can be of any service to you while in G. you must make use of me. My address for the present will be

Rotenburg, [?] [Breusen?], Prov. Hanover Germany.

Yours ever [friend?] G. [?]. G.

Cambridge, Nov. 23, 1881

My Dear Bessey

Thanks for your good letter & kind greetings. I am glad you are taking up the Naturalist for Botany. We got home on the 6th but are not yet settled, tho. I have done considerable work. Shall be glad to see you in "Jan. or Feb."

As to Pocket Manual of Botany, the simplest solution is one which some of my botanical friends here made, viz. that of cutting a copy of my Manual [done?] close to the type & binding in limp leather. Copies could be prepared in this way if there was a demand, and they could be [sic.] printed on thin paper.

Agate or Peal type would be found a nuisance. As to [prepare?]

and [?] it is possible that the next edition of Grays Manual may cover a larger geographical space, & not be much increased in bulk, perhaps no increase in bulk.

A synopsis with characters reduced to a few words is very difficult to make, trying to use, and in use very likely [not?] to contain the certain [?] which require examination in the field.

I may say to you that I am thoughtfully planning the form and the number and extent of the [paying?] books which I can leave behind me, and which may for a while give something to run the herbarium here after me. I shall be glad of suggestions. The income from the

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[Asa Gray to C. E. Bessey]