42 AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND 



say know as much as he does, this I call " Equality in 

 face of the Reason. 



Now that I am stuck in the ruts of prolixity let me 

 continue a little longer about the events that took place 

 in the year 1854. A. few days after Mr. Low was gone 

 as I had promised him I sent him an order mostly 

 Ericas and a few other plants ; the whole not to ex- 

 exceed $70 or $75. In Sept. or October I received a 

 box containing the plants ordered, at least I think so, 

 but I guessed ! When I had opened the box I found 

 that iheplantSj the pots they were in, the soil, the whole 

 was like if having been ground by a mill stone. So 

 that one could have snuffed the whole like snuff 

 (tobacco) and strange I saved two plants, one Funkia 

 grandiflora that proved to be Funkia alba a plant I 

 had in quantity, and one Genista prostrata, a British 

 plant; one was worth 6 pence British, the other one 

 shilling that is all I had for $70 or $75 and six or seven 

 dollars for freight was not that coining ! ! I wrote 

 Messrs. Low and told them the condition of the plant 

 and added if you feel as I do when spring comes send 

 me again the same lot as you had and charge me only 

 half the price agreed ; they did and when the plants 

 came I had about for 6 or 8 dollars worth alive. They 

 gave me the particulars of the shipping in Liverpool. 

 All available (steamers) had been chartered by the 



