255

Scientific Department
Tabor College.

J. E. Todd,
Professor of Natural Sciences.

Tabor, Iowa, Oct 11th 1880.

My dear Professor Bessey,

I found your letter of Aug 12th
together with a copy of your Botany and a letter from
H[?] and Co, awaiting me on my return from Nebraska
at the beginning of September. Many thanks for your favor.

I have often taken up your book at leisure moments
and always with admiration for its comprehensiveness
combined with conciseness, for the [profession?] of clear and apt
illustrations, and for the general arrangement of the work.

From my having done but little work in [?] [?]
Botany and Micoscopy I feel unqualified to give
any suggestions or criticisms on the science of the book.
I have seen however such favorable opinions of those who are
qualified to judge, [sic.] that I [must?] heartily congratulate
you on your success in that direction also.

I have written H[?] and Co. as he requested, my judgment
of the work, which I gave in as strongly favorable
terms as I thot judicious. There is such a thing as
overdoing such things.

I have received copies of the Proceedings of the Iowa
Academy. The work is well done – I am a little disappointed
however that [abstracts?] are not more frequently given. In my [?]