330 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME. [1845, 



Dr. Gray is said to have stated that Mr. Sprague 

 had but one rival, Riocreux ; and he considered 

 that draughtsman's classical drawings inferior to Mr. 

 Sprague's. 



TO JOHN TORREY. 



CAMBRIDGE, March 8, [1845 ?] 



... I finish Lichens this afternoon ; and have 

 next two lectures on Fungi and spontaneous genera- 

 tion to give. I interweave a good deal of matter, 

 such as, on Ferns, the part they played in the early 

 times of the world, a la Brongniart. Mosses, filling 

 up lakes and pools ; Sphagnum, Peat. Lichens, first 

 agents in clothing rocks with soil. I have noble illus- 

 trations of rust in wheat, ergot, etc., and Sprague is 

 now hard at work on smut, a la Bauer. 



You remember the letter I sent you from Prestele of 

 " Ebenezer, near Buffalo," and which you still hold. 

 Well, he has sent me for inspection a most superb set 

 of drawings, both of cultivated and of some native 

 plants, exceedingly well done. Also specimens of his 

 work in cutting on stone, which he does admirably. 

 He did the work in BischofFs " Terminology," which 

 perhaps you remember, two quarto volumes. What a 

 pity he did not have the State-Flora plates to execute ! 



If Dr. Beck and yourself go on with your plan, he 

 is your man to engrave the plates on stone. Our Illi- 

 cium is now in full flower ; but I cannot spare Sprague 

 a moment to draw it yet ; unless, indeed, it is quite 

 certain you will want it this year, when I would try. 

 He must work hard for me two weeks longer. . . . 



My cutting up of " Vestiges of Creation " was a 

 fine blow, and told. Peirce, who you know was rather 

 inclined to favor Rogers a while ago, is now sound 



