KECOLLECTIONS, 1862-65. 49 



for there are 75 years I began to try that or those 

 studies, and so far, to-day, I hardly know a few letters 

 of its alphabet (of the later, human heart). 



As I am narrating retrospective anecdotes, I may as 

 well continue, inasmuch as they all have some relation 

 to horticultural incidents, or to the horticulturist him- 

 self. 



At one of the Brooklyn horticultural exhibitions I 

 had some Ericas (Heaths). A gentleman of New 

 York, then the king of sugar dealers (I admit kings in 

 commercial affairs and intellectual notions ; beyond that 

 none), saw them and inquired for me, to know if they 

 were for sale. I was out of the city that day, as I al- 

 most always did, when the judges awarded the premi- 

 ums ; not finding me he went for the president of the 

 society, and asked him if those " Scotch Heaths " were 

 for sale. He answered him he thought that I might 

 be in want of the amount of their value in money, but 

 that I might also prefer to keep them ! Well, he said, 

 I understand that, but tell him that I want them and I 

 will pay what he will ask me. At the close of the ex- 

 hibition I took them to him ; the moment he saw me 

 he took my hand with both of his, and very sympa- 

 thetically said, yon must be a Scotchman, to grow such 

 plants "Scotch Heaths." I told him they were no 

 more Scotch heaths than I was a Scotchman. Well, 

 5 



