418 CORRESPONDENCE. [1855, 



The naturalists at Paris were en vacance, and mostly 

 away. I saw only Brongniart, Spacli, Gay, Dr. Mon- 

 tagne, and Trecul (who sent, I believe, some pam- 

 phlets for you ; the package is not yet unpacked }, 

 and my good friend Vilmorin. Boissier was there 

 from Geneva. 



In England I spent all the little time I could com- 

 mand at dear Hooker's at Kew ; and Bentham, then 

 in the country, came down to see me. I made a long 

 and interesting call on Robert Brown, who is very old, 

 but full of interest. I shall not again see this Nestor 

 of botanists, as well as facile princeps, in this world. 



Hooker was much delighted when I told him you 

 were coming next spring to see him at Kew. He in- 

 sisted upon taking me over to see the Cactus house, 

 and all through it, so that I might tell you what a 

 mass of Cactea3 there are there ; and he will be much 

 pleased to have you work among them. He spoke 

 about his CuscuteaB, but was not at all displeased at 

 your retaining them; begged you would work them 

 up if possible before returning them. You will be 

 charmed with Sir William when you see him. 



As to the " Manual," my plan, as at present advised, 

 is to cross the line of slavery a little, to take in Ken- 

 tucky and Virginia ; this makes the real division, in 

 botanical geography, between North and South. It 

 should be Northern ground, too, down to this line : for 

 north of it slave labor is good for nothing ; and there 

 would be no slaves there, except for the Southern 

 market. I cannot take in Missouri, for I must make 

 the Mississippi my boundary. But all your St. Louis 

 plants cross into Illinois, do they not ? Tell me how 

 this is. I shall get at work at the new edition soon. 

 I shall first press on the " Lessons " a little further. 



