20 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



Did it rise from seed ? (Yes. D. D.) Mr. Tracy informed me that 

 the Erythraea which was found on the Missouri by Mr. Nuttall had 

 been lately found 12 miles from Albany shortly since. We set out for 

 it, but on our arriving at the spot we had the mortification to look 

 at the spot but unable to get to it. It was on a rising spot in the middle 

 of an extensive swamp which was completely inundated by the late rains. 

 Mr. Tracy expressed his extreme regret, but pledged himself to transmit 

 plants to Mr. Hogg at New York for the Society next year on its showing 

 itself. On our way home we observed in a wood near the city, in light red 

 soil, a species of Corallorrhiza different from those at Lockport, Pyrola 

 maculata, 1 P. umbellata * and P. secunda, and a small species of annual 

 Polygala. On the dry places grew Epigaea repens. Quercus sp. 18, a 

 stately tree almost everywhere, foliage large and entire, fruit small and 

 yellow. The trees were covered with pigeons pecking the fruit ; on rocky 

 soil. Called on Stephen van Ransaleer, 3 Esq., who is the most wealthy man 

 in the United States. He has a large garden and orchards, and a fine range 

 of hothouses, chiefly filled with vines. The grapes were all cut and hung 

 on strings in a fruit-room. Mr. van Ransaleer, being of Dutch extraction, 

 has many friends on the continent of Europe, who furnish him with different 

 kinds of fruits ; there were Black Prince, Hamburgh, White Sweet Water, 

 Grizzly Frontignan, and Malmsey. No attention is paid to the native vines 

 of North America. His apples and pears are much the same as at New 

 York and Philadelphia ; plums thrive much better. He has a large space 

 of ground occupied as pleasure or flower garden, which is a novelty in 

 America, as little attention is paid to anything but what brings money or 

 luxury for the table. His flower garden is kept in good order, under the 

 direction and management of his daughters, with much taste. Roses from 

 France, herbaceous plants from Germany, grace the plots, with annuals, 

 <fcc., from London. I had a letter of introduction to him from Governor 

 Clinton. Mr. van Ransaleer is a man of taste. He used me with kindness 

 and invited me to breakfast should I make it convenient. | 



I Albany, Saturday, October llth. Early in the morning I called on 

 Jesse Bull, Esq., a friend of Governor Clinton's, and formerly printer for 

 the State of New York. He has now retired from a pressing business with 

 an ample fortune, to his pleasing pursuit of farming and gardening, of which 

 he is very fond and shows skill in both. His garden is yet in infancy, but 

 laid out with taste and utility. His farm is large and all divided by 

 hedges of Crataegus Oxyacantha from Britain. Hedging is a thing unknown 

 in a general sense. Mr. Bull offered to send me some things to New York 

 as my time was limited. He was kind and very affable for the short 

 space of four hours' acquaintance. On my way to Albany I called on Paul 

 Clark and saw Columba migratoria in a domesticated state. I waited 

 on Governor Clinton, who was to see me at New York after furnishing 

 me with a letter of introduction to James Thomson, Esq., of Elerslie, at 

 whose house I was already used very politely, unknown to Mr. Clinton. 

 After making acknowledgment for the very great interest which he had 



1 Chimaphila maculata, A. Gray, Syn. Fl. N. Am. ii. I. p. 45. 



2 Chimaphila umbellata, A. Gray, loc. cit., p. 45. 3 (?) Rensselaer. 



