GOTTHILF HEINRICH ERNST MUHLENBERG. 6l 



Schopf, an officer of the Hessian troops stationed in New York 

 during the Revolutionary War, who traveled through the 

 Eastern States to Florida, after the conclusion of peace, in 

 search of medicinal plants, became acquainted with Muhlen- 

 berg and was assisted by him. After his return to Germany 

 he was the occasion of a correspondence between Muhlenberg 

 and Prof. Schreber, of Erlangen, and this was followed by ex- 

 changes of letters with other eminent botanists in Germany, 

 England, France, and Sweden, as well as with Americans. 



Like a true naturalist, Muhlenberg continued to exercise 

 the greatest care and thoroughness in observation and research. 

 A botanical excursion and note book of 1/85 contains the fol- 

 lowing plan of work : 



" This year I shall again keep a calendar of all plants as I 

 may observe them, especially when in bloom. When I am 

 quite certain, I shall set down only the Linnaean name; when 

 not quite certain, I shall make a full description. Especially 

 shall I try to complete the descriptions of 1/89 in those kinds 

 of plants in which many species are most exact. As I very 

 carefully explored this region last year, I shall this year visit 

 other regions, namely: i. The mountains on the Susquehanna, 

 in May and July. 2. The mountains called Chestnut Moun- 

 tains, also twice, etc. I must further call upon apothecaries 

 and take other pains to learn the officinal plants, their virtues 

 and their common names. I must this year pay particular at- 

 tention to the seeds, and especially to describe all herbs as 

 completely and exactly as possible, especially when I am not 

 wholly certain. I shall give particular attention to those of 

 which there are many species, such as asclepias, convolvulus, 

 serratula, aster, solidago, and all the ferns. . . . The seed ves- 

 sels and seeds are very important for the genus and species, 

 and I must therefore give careful attention to them." He also 

 indicates here as one of his purposes, besides the native plants, 

 to observe all the exotics, whether they need protection in win- 

 ter or are completely acclimated. 



In the spring of 1791 he was able to inform Dr. Cutler that 

 he had collected more than eleven hundred different plants in a 

 circuit of about three miles from Lancaster, and that he was 

 devoting himself to the collection of material concerning their 

 medicinal and economic applications. In a later letter, Novem- 

 ber 8, 1/91, he wrote: "If the medicinal application seems to 



