420 CORRESPONDENCE. [1855, 



book ; for I bought a copy of Masson in Paris, to 

 read on the voyage, when I could have more leisure 

 than at home. And I carefully read it then (after 

 having dispatched Hooker and Thomson's " Flora 

 Indica ") up as far as to p. 1087, when I was obliged 

 by the close of the voyage to break off, at a very in- 

 teresting point ; and I cannot yet resume the reading. 



I cannot sufficiently express my profound admiration 

 of this book, so thorough and conscientious, so capital 

 in its method, and embodying such a vast amount of 

 facts well discussed ; it might well be the work of a 

 long life. I have marked in many places points on 

 which I may have a word to say, sometimes little de- 

 tails to add or correct, sometimes a criticism to hazard. 



If time (which is now precious to me) permit, I 

 will write a series of articles on it for " Silliman's 

 Journal," which will serve to make the work gener- 

 ally known to our people, and in which I can insert 

 any commentaries I have time and room for. One 

 article I will devote to plants introduced into this 

 country from Europe. Now that you have so well col- 

 lected and digested the principal information, it will 

 be easy to complete and correct some points ; and this 

 may be useful to you hereafter, as well as to me. . . . 



I will procure from Dr. Harris any information he 

 has collected about the potato, which, if Raleigh took 

 it from Virginia to England, must have been brought 

 to Virginia from South America. It was certainly 

 unknown to our aborigines, who, however, along with 

 maize, cultivated beans (Phaseoli) and squashes (Cu- 

 curbits). 



Dr. Hooker had written to me, eulogizing your work 

 in the highest terms. I missed seeing him when in 

 England. 



