THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 81 



essay on the importance of botanical knowledge to the culti- 

 vators of the soil. 



Men of science in our land now began to be aware of 

 the existence and meritorious labors of the unpretending 

 farmer and gardener of West Bradford ; and we learn, from 

 his certificate, that on the 20th of January, 1786, he was 

 elected a member of the American Philosophical Society. 



On the 27th of July, 1786, Humphry lost his first wife, 

 who died at the age of nearly sixty-six years, and on the 

 10th of January, 1788, he again married. This second 

 wife was Margaret, daughter of Thomas Minshall, of Mid- 

 dletown (then of Chester), Delaware County. He had no 

 offspring by either marriage. 



A genus of plants, belonging to the natural family of 

 Compositse, was dedicated in 1791 by the botanist, Schreber, 

 to Humphry Marshall and his nephew ; * for which, it would 

 seem, they were partly indebted to the kind interposition 

 and friendly attention of Dr. Muhlenberg, the correspon- 

 dent of Schreber. 



In the latter years of his life Humphry's vision was 

 greatly impaired by cataract, for which the operation of 

 couching w^as performed by Dr. Wistar in 1793, with but 

 partial success. It was proposed to be repeated in the year 

 1800, and preparation, made with that view, as may be 

 gathered from some of Dr. Wistar's letters ; but it was the 

 opinion of his relatives of the following generation that the 

 operation was not performed. His sight, however, was 

 never so entirely lost, but that he could discern the walks in 

 his garden, and recognize the localities of his favorite plants. 



But even while yielding to the infirmities of age, 



* See page 104, where this statement is questioned. 



