714

Original in Hunt Institute for Botanical
Documentation; Carnegie-Mellon Uni., Pitts., PA
Twentieth Century Botanists Collection

In sending specimens of plants for investigation it is desirable to have the leaves. Flowers, and fruit, and, in the case of bulbous plants, the [buthe?]. also, When they are sent from a distance it is best to prepare the specimens by drying them under pressure between folds of absorbent paper, otherwise the parts shrink and break so as to be hardly recognizable. When the dried plants are sent they should be protected from breakage in the mail by being inclosed between pieces of stuff pasteboard. Packages weighing less than four pounds can be sent by mall at the rate of one cent per ounce. Write the name of the send on the outside. In the letter accompanying the specimens state where collected, the date, and any other particulars of the plant. whether reputed poisonous, pestiferous, medicinal, or useful.

U. S. Department of Agriculture.

DIVISION OF BOTANY,

Washington, D. C., March 11, 1887.

Prof C. E. Bessey

My dear [Sir?],

I had a drawing of the [Poor audience?]
made from your specimens, but our engraver was so
occupied with work needed immediately for the Annual
Report that I could not get it engraved, and therefore
I had the clerk include that one is "Agricultural Grasses" I
for one of the [electrotypes?] to be and you. I presume you
have received then [are?] this. I send you a package of
foreign grasses to day, and will send another soon.
The Bill for enlarging the Dept. of Agr. and making its chief
a Cabinet Office did not finally pass Congress, but probably
will do a next Congress. I would like to have your opinion as to
any new line of work for the Botanical Division. Mr [Crogien?] will
do what he can on cultivated plants, but our appropriation is to
small. We ought to be able to do field work in the way of in--
[?]tion of the plans of special or unexplored regions, as for instance
are should be able to send a [Botenist?] to Alaska to harm its [?]
or to such other parts of the country as needed explanation.

Yours truly
[Ms Vary?]