downinq's letters. 



an nutoffrajih of liady Morp:an's, &c. As I know you are a collector, unci i)ro- 

 l)altl}- liavo not these good things, \nit them under your wing. 



In return, send mc two or three of the best duplicates you can spare. I ima- 

 gine you can send mc easily one of Mary Ilowitt, and, possibly, of John Barlram 

 and Franklin. Washington is, I sui)pose, too scarce to be had. Am 1 not full 

 of the zeal of collectorshii)? 



I will notice the Nodical Jiotani/ in my next number — in which, by the way, 

 you will sec an article entitled " Arboricultural Gossip," by /. /ay »S';rtiV^, that 

 will, I am sure, amuse yon — since I have made it from several of your late letters, 

 taking that on Arboretums as the basis, and one or two facts that you told me 

 verbally here last summer. It reads well, and to the point, and will raise the 

 credit of my Journal and benefit the public. Long live the editors ! 



Yours in haste, but sincerely, 



A. J. D. 



P. S. By the way, what a little cramped autograph of my own is in your quarto ! 

 To J. Jay Smith, Esq. 



The next letter which we shall copy is particularly characteristic, and contains 

 the allusion to being one of his " parish" with which we opened our editorial 

 career in the Horticulturist in July last. 



Highland Garden, Aug. 5, 1847. 



My Dear Friend: I have been absent from home for some days, and now have 

 the pleasure of sending you a bound coi)y of my Horticulturist. The "Hints to 

 Young Architects," I told ray }>ublisher to send you some time ago, and presume 

 it has reached you before this. 



I was very much amused at your letter touching the autographs, which you 

 first thought you would bestow on me, but, upon sober second thought, deter- 

 mined not. Never mind ; I will bide my time. By and by, when you are look- 

 ing over your collection you will, I am sure, see something that you will lay aside 

 for me ; upon which (without waiting for the second thought), pray send it off at 

 once! 



So you have undertaken a country place! Well, now you are one of my parish, 

 and there is no escape for you ; digging, and delving, and planting, and laying 

 out, ad infinitum. Depend upon it, it is about the only rational sort of creation 

 that poor humans can engage in, and provided you do it wisely (whicli few of us 

 do, indeed), you cannot fail to increase your ha])piness by it. In the mean time, if 

 any hints of ray poor brain can help you, call thera out I pray you. 



Let rae know in your next in what direction is your new home — whether near 

 the Delaware, or the interior? I am curious about all. 



The North River, which I chiefly confine my visits to this season, looks finely. 

 There is beauty enough to satisfy a reasonable man. 



Sincerely your friend, 



A. J. DOWNING 

 Jay Smith, Esq. 



