411
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
Oct 31st 1886.
Dear Professor Bessey:–
Yesterday afternoon I spent in the second-hand boostores and one of my trophies I send to you. I do not remember to have seen Keith's Botany in your library, but you may have it of course, – in which case please keep it against my return.
It is my duty to warn you that this book is not the latest on the subject. Even the clerk who sold it admitted that it was a little behind the times. I affected to be greatly disgusted at this and he dropped the price again to [?] me. If this book is of any use to you I shall be very glad to have had the opportunity of furnishing it.
My address is now as above. — Johns Hopkins Univ. — I am about to change my boarding place.
Give my regards to Mrs. Bessey and all the boys.
Very Truly Conway [?]. McMillan
412
State University of Iowa. Chair of Botany and Systematic Zoology. T. H. McBride, Professor.
Iowa City, Feb. 27 1886.
Prof. C. E. Bessey – Dear Sir —
Prof. Arthur in Bot. Gazette does the State Univ of Iowa injustice by omission. We have her[e?], thanks to the liberalit of the state legislature two yrs. since a magnificent building 112º x 72º one half of the first floor [?] to Botany, the entire building to natural science. We have a botanial laboratory which will compose with any in the country, a laboratory filled with slate topped operating tables to accommodate 25 students and already furnished with twenty compound microscopes, a first class micro[?] and other essential pieces of ap-
413
State University of Iowa. Chair of Botany and Systematic Zoology. T. H. McBride, Professor.
Iowa City, 188
-paratus. As our opportunities for amassed botanical work have grown so has our course of study and the schemes of work attempted, so that we hope the future has great things in store for us. We entered our new building in September last.
Very resp'y T [H?] McBride
414
State University of Iowa. Chair of Botany and Systematic Zoology. T. H. McBride, Professor.
Iowa City, Mar 1 1886.
Prof. C. E. Bessey— Dear Sir—
I find that in writing my letter to you a few days since I made use of one expression which circumstances do not warrant – I wrote my letter after reading in the Am. Naturalist your note on Prof. Arthur's paper. Since then I have read the original paper and while regretting that the University Laboratory did not find place in Mr. Arthur's article still I withdraw the statement that Mr. A. has done us "injustice," inasmuch as his paper does not pretend to give a list complete. — However the fact
415
State University of iowa. Chair of Botany and Systematic Zoology. T. H. McBride, Professor.
Iowa City, 188
that the S. U. of Iowa now has a beautiful Botanical Laboratory, Lecture-room, Herbarium, with three special laboratories for special students, and a reasonably good set of apparatus thro-out remains a fact in which Prof. Arthur and yourself will find as much satisfaction as any resident Iowan, or any botanist any where.
Very truly T [H?] McBride