54 



were occupied in teaching in village schools and carrying on his own 

 studies. At the age of 20, having been trained to self-reliance, he 

 entered the sophomore class in Dartmouth College, from which he 

 was graduated with honor in 1834. On account of his scholarly at- 

 tainments at college, he was invited, after his graduation, to accept 

 the position of instructor in Latin and natural history in the Kimbal 

 Union Academy, at Meriden, N. H., where, with the interruption of 

 one year only, he remained for fifteen years. This year of absence 

 he spent at Andover, Mass., in the study of theology. Soon after 

 this he was licensed, after examination, to preach the Gospel, but his 

 ministry was never more than an occasional service among neighbor- 

 ing churches, in connection with his labor in the Academy. It was 

 during his residence at Meriden that he first conceived the idea of 



ALPHONSO WOOD. 



preparing a text-book of botany, and this idea arose, first from his 

 great fondness for the science, and secondly from his want, as a 

 teacher of natural history, of a suitable work. The botanical text- 

 books then extant were Eaton's Manual, Mrs. Lincoln's Botany, 

 Bigelow s Florula Bostoniensis and Torrey's Compendium-all on 

 the Linnean system.^ Dr. Beck's work, on the natural system, was 

 TfhT-^f / "^^ ' instruction, owing to .the paucity of information 



ZJ^^ll Z A^ P""'-- 7^'- ^'^y'' text-book was too voluminous 

 and learned and contained no flora. Prof. Wood visited Dr. Gray 

 and suggested that the latter should prepare a more elementary work; 

 but Dr. Gray either did not think such a book was then needed or 

 had no time to devote to its preparation. Prof. Wood then deter- 

 d^sses S^ tT '? f ^P^^tion of a small book for use in his own 

 classes. He contemplated nothing more than a pamphlet or small 

 local flora on the plan of that of Bigelow, but according to the na^ur 

 a system, and preceded by an introduction to contain^he elemen s 

 of the science, with analytical tables. As he proceeded! the work 



