726 FINAL JOURNEYS AND WORK. [1881, 



But I was very busy when it came, and hardly less so 

 since, and so I let it get out of sight. 



Well, here we are once more, leaving dear friends 

 on the other side, and now among our own kith and 

 kin. 



Glad to hear of your pleasant summer, and pretty 

 good health now. 



We had a favorable voyage home, which is more 

 than those just before could say, and far more than 

 any since. . . . 



Nees's asters, of his own herbarium, I can nowhere 

 find or hear of. But I don't believe his herbarium 

 (which was sold piecemeal) would have helped me 

 much, considering how he has named asters for other 

 herbaria. . . . 



Accumulated collections, of Lemmon, Parish, 1 Cu- 

 sick, 2 etc., especially have taken all my time up to 

 now, after getting my home in order, a deal of trouble. 

 And now I can think of getting at my " Flora " work 

 again. 



First of all, I am to make complete as I can my 

 manuscript for Solidago and Aster. Solidago I always 

 find rather hopeful. Aster, as to the Asteres genuini, 

 is my utter despair ! Still I can work my way 

 through except for the Rocky Mountain Pacific 

 species. 



I will try them once more, though I see not how to 

 limit species, and to describe specimens is endless 

 and hopeless. So send on your things. But first I 

 am to print, pari passu with my final elaboration, an 

 article, " Studies in Solidago and Aster," taking 

 the former first, giving an account of what I have 



1 Samuel B. Parish, San Bernardino, Cal. 



2 William Cusick, Crowell, Oregon. 



