114 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



which I found not only rich in plants from all parts of the 

 world, but particularly so in rare and new American species. 

 Philadelphia being a central situation, and extremely well 

 calculated for the cultivation of plants from all the other 

 parts of North America, I found this collection particularly 

 valuable for furnishing me with a general knowledge of the 

 plants of that country preparatory to more extensive travels 

 into the interior, for the discovery of new and unknown 

 species. Mr. John Lyon (of whom I shall have an oppor- 

 tunity to speak hereafter), who had the management of these 

 gardens, was then about to give them up : having the offer 

 of being appointed his successor I embraced it, and accord- 

 ingly in 1802, I entered upon the situation. During my 

 stay in this place, which was until 1805, I received and 

 collected plants from all parts of North America ; and when 

 Michaux's ' Flora Boreali-Americana ' appeared, which was 

 during that time, I was not only in possession of most of his 

 plants, but had then a considerable number not described 

 by him." 



His early and principal patron was Dr. Benjamin 

 Smith Barton, who supplied the means for most of the 

 travels which he w^as able to undertake, and who, as Pursh 

 states, " for some time previous had been collecting materials 

 for an American Flora." Pursh's personal explorations 

 were not extensive. In the spring of 1805 he set out for 

 the mountains and western territories of the Southern states, 

 beginning at Maryland and extending to the Carolinas (in 

 Avhich tract the interesting high mountains of Virginia and 

 Carolina took my particular attention), returning late in 

 the autumn through the lower countries along the sea-coast 

 to Philadelphia. 



