THOMAS WALTER (1740 ?-88) AND HIS GRASS "^ 



been found in the Herbal of Linnaeus by Dr. James Smith, of 

 London, who purchased that valuable collection. Lut, although 

 found there, it is not described by Linnaeus ; and it does not appear 

 that there was any other specimen of it, than that found in the 

 Herbal, in the possession of any person in Europe, previous to 

 Mr. Eraser's arrival from America." The specimen from Kami, to 

 which Smith has attached his diagnosis, is in the Linnean Herbarium. 



The history of the introduction of the grass into cultivation and 

 of the high, anticipations formed both by Walter and Fraser of its 

 importance ara set forth at length by the latter in his work. Jt 

 affords a curious parallel to the excitement which was aroused in 

 England, of which a summary will be found in the later editions of 

 Withering, by the introduction from Ireland of the form of Agrostis 

 stoionifera known as "Fiorin Grass." The two "agreed to become 

 joint proprietors of the grass," and Fraser " undertook to introduce 

 it into Great Britain and other parts of Europe." Walter advertised 

 it extensively in America, and corresponded with Eraser about it on 

 the hitter's return to Europe : a portion of one of Walter's letters may 

 he quoted (dated Feb. 18, 1788) :— 



" I am in great hopes that you are by this time safely arrived in 

 England. The winds with us, since your departure, have been high, 

 and frequently north-westerly ; the cold piercing, and more severe 

 than before. The ink in my standish, by the lire-side, has been 

 frozen into Hakes; }'et our noble Grass has borne it all well, and the 

 weather having within these few days become warm, it is thriving 

 rapidly. I expect to obtain an exclusive patent for vending the seed. 

 People here have to pay as much attention to it as they do to most 

 things, but at the same time hardly know how to believe their senses, 

 and often ask with some degeee of amazement how I came by it V " 

 He is "anxious to know the fate of [his] Flora, and what opinions are 

 formed of the author among your great men. Will they allow 

 of a little merit, or do they give no quarter ? Pray be ingenuous 

 ami explicit with me. If they find fault justly, I'll take care to 

 correct it. If they are mistaken, I will endeavour to make it clear." 

 But his chief interest is in the grass, on account of which he expect* 

 " to be recorded in historic page as another Triptolemus." This 

 classical allusion to the protege of Ceres and the fact that his Flora is 

 written in Latin shows that Walter was a man of education : he 

 refers to the grass as " Donum in?estimabile, Conditore ad banc 

 diem reservatum, hoc sevum, me instrumento, locupletatum ! " {Flora, 

 p. 74). 



In October of the same year, Walter sent Fraser twenty bushels 

 of the seed to be sold at two guineas a quart; but the death of the 

 former and the misfortunes of the latter brought about the failure of 

 tiic scheme. The publication of Walter's account of the grass was, 

 Fraser tells us, "opposed by the most violent prejudices, and by a 

 great many no sort of credit was given to the veracity of my friend's 

 description." "To add to this very unpleasant situation," Eraser had 

 to engage in a law-suit with the man to whom he had sent his 

 American collections, in which he was defeated, and in order to save 

 himself and his family from ruin was compelled to make an immediate 

 Journal of Botany. — Vol. 59. [Majkch, 1921.] g 



