292 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



engaged with his patients, his son would gather specimens. 

 He was quite fascinated with the fanciful names given to 

 the specimens, which he got out of an old German botany. 

 In those days it was difficult to procure good literature on the 

 subject of botany. When a mere youth, fifty years ago, he 

 heard of a botanical work by a Mrs. Lincoln. He tried to get 

 a copy in Reading, but none could be had, so he was obliged to 

 send to Philadelphia. Receiving it, he made good use of 

 it, prizing it more than other books. 



The common schools in those days did not satisfy his 

 father, so the boy was sent to the Nazareth Moravian 

 Seminary, to Freemont Seminary at Norristown, and finally 

 to Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Massachusetts. At 

 the latter place his wdsh was fully gratified by being allowed 

 to study botany, under Dr. Edward Hitchcock, who recom- 

 mended the new book on botany (Wood's first edition). 

 He explored fields, meadows, and w^oods in the vicinity 

 of East Hampton in search of specimens, which were 

 arranged in an herbarium, sometimes neglecting his other 

 studies in pursuit of his favorite science. 



After returning home from W^illiston Seminary, he 

 commenced to read medicine, with his father as preceptor, 

 during which period he made frequent excursions among 

 the hills and valleys of Berks. He remembers, with 

 pleasure, the excursions taken with the late Dr. John P. 

 Heister, of Reading, an enthusiastic botanist. 



After reading medicine at home he entered Jefi'erson 

 Medical College, and graduated in the class of 1855, locating 

 in the small but ancient village of Trexlertown, Lehigh 

 County, Pennsylvania. 



The study of the flora of Lehigh County has, since his 



