489 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 
the plants of the eastern states and of Europe were already well known 
at the close of the eighteenth century. Of course many new western 
plants were discovered, the medical properties of which had to be deter- 
mined; but this was not the main object in making a study of them. 
We find three distinct periods of botanical work which include the 
one hundred and thirteen years that have elapsed since Michaux’s 
visit. These may be designated as follows: First, exploration by botan- 
ists on transient visits of a few days’ to a few months’ time; second, 
collecting by persons who lived in or near St. Louis for a number of 
rs; third, modern botany as contrasted with the purely systematic 
work of early days. These three periods overlap one another, but can 
still be distinguished without difficulty. The first includes most of 
the work done previously to 1850; the second began with the work of 
Engelmann and his numerous contemporary collector friends, who 
relied upon him for assistance in naming their collections; it may even 
be said to extend until the present time, as considerable work is still 
being done upon the local flora of the district; the third period may 
be said to date from the founding of the Shaw School of Botany, and 
the assumption of control of the Missouri Botanical Garden by the 
board of trustees. 
André Michaux, the great French botanist, who explored so ex- 
tensively the territory of the thirteen original colonies as far west as 
the Mississippi River, is the first botanical worker concerning whom 
published records have yet been found as having worked in the vicinity 
of St. Louis. He is known to have visited Kaskaskia and Cahokia, 
and the evidence seems to indicate that he must have visited the west 
shore of the Mississippi, since a few species are listed in his “ Flora” 
as coming from the Missouri River 
André Michaux? was born at Satory, near. Versailles, France, in 
1746. He was destined by his father for the superintendence of a farm 
of the royal estate, and early became interested in agriculture. Upon 
the death of his young wife, at the birth of their son, Francois André, 
he devoted himself to scientific studies, especially botany. He studied 
botany under Bernard de Jussieu, and sought in foreign lands for 
strange plants. In 1779-81 he traveled in England, the Auvergne, 
the Pyrenees and Spain. In 1782-5 he was in Persia in a political 
capacity, but really to explore a country at that time almost unknown 
to scientific men; he intended to return to Persia, but was requested in 
1785, by the French government, to introduce into France such North 
* Hooker, W. J., Amer. Jour. Sci. and Arts, 1st series, 9: 266-269, 1825. 
Gray, Asa, Ditto, 1 ser., 42: 2-9, 1842. 
Coulter, J. L., Bot. Gaz., 8: 181-183, 1883. 
Rusby, H. H., Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, 11: 88-90, 1884. 
Sargent, C. S., “‘Scientifie Papers of Asa Gray,” 2: 23-31, 1889. 
Thwaites, R. G., “ Early Western Travels,” 3: 11-19, 27-104, 1904. 
