NO. 6 THOMAS WALTER, BOTANIST MAXON 5 



consisted originally of meager specimens, so that its value in the 

 interpretation of Walter's short descriptions is often slight. Various 

 details as to its labeling and condition, the absence of certain specimens 

 (including many types), the identification of Walter's own species, 

 and his interpretation of earlier species are given by Blake, whose 

 paper is commented upon by Britten. 



Eraser's Carolina Grass. — This grass, the subject of Eraser's im- 

 portant folio, is Agrostis pcremmns (Walter) Tuckerman, now known 

 as " autumn bent ", a widely distributed species of eastern North 

 America. The commercial venture entered into by Walter and Fraser 

 of introducing this into general cultivation in England ended dis- 

 astrously, and was cut short by Walter's death. 



Data sought. — Aside from such information as date and place of 

 birth, education, early history, dates of arrival in South Carolina and 

 acquisition of plantation, and the like, all of this unrecorded, it is 

 desirable surely to know something more of Walter's life in this 

 country and of the man himself than can be gained from his single 

 publication, the two letters quoted by Fraser, and the latter's warm 

 eulogy of his friend, whom he knew for so short a time. Dignity, 

 scholarship, conservatism yet independence of judgment, and — above 

 all — modesty and persistent zeal are so unmistakably reflected in the 

 lines of his preface to the " Flora " that one earnestly hopes that 

 diaries, letters, or contemporaneous accounts or records of some sort 

 may yet be found, which will shed real light upon the life history of 

 this gifted scientist. Why should he have sought seclusion on the 

 Santee? Miss Porcher writes (February 19, 1936): "Evidently 

 Walter remained an Englishman to his death. In our family, whenever 

 he was spoken of, the fact that he was never naturalized was always 

 stressed. His brothers-in-law, the Peyres, remained Loyalists and 

 were both put in prison in Philadelphia." Only one signature of 

 Thomas Walter is known to exist, this in receipt of a bill of goods 

 (September 28, 1787) amounting to 115 pounds, 11 shillings, 4 pence. 



SOURCE REFERENCES 



The following list is believed to be nearly complete, except for 

 several newspaper articles published in South Carolina : 



Eraser, John 



1789. A short history of the Agrostis Cornucopiae ; or, the new American 

 grass : . . . also, some account of a journey to the Cherokee Nation, 

 in search of new plants. 8 pp., i pi., folio. London. 

 Urban, Svlvanus 



1789. Eraser's Carolina grass. Gentleman's Mag., vol. 59, pt. 2, pp. 872-873, 

 October. 



