430 CORRESPONDENCE. [1857, 
thought fit to put into the hands of young beginners. 
Here botany is taught, somehow or other, in most 
schools, and generally by incompetent teachers from 
wretched books, i. e., those used in the ordinary 
schools and for young peo ople. 
I have endeavored, in the little book I send you, to 
make real science as easy and simple as possible. I 
doubt if I have yet aimed low enough; but the book 
seems to take, and promises to be useful. 
Although not adapted for your meridian (where 
you have doubtless good elementary books enough), 
yet when your boy, who must now be five or six years 
old, if he has been spared to you, gets a few years 
older, I shall be much gratified if this little volume 
should interest him, and aid you somewhat in devel- 
oping in his mind a love for the study of nature in 
one of its pleasantest branches. . 
I want to offer you my new “ Miasual of the Botany 
of the Northern United States,” not that it can be of 
any use or of much interest to you, but must not load 
my kind acquaintance with more parcels. I wait for 
an opportunity of sending through the booksellers, 
before long. 
TO JAMES D. DANA. 
November 7, 1857. 
If you have plenty, please send me two more copies 
of your “ Thoughts on Species.’ 
I first read it carefully, a week ago, and I meant to 
write you at once how I like it, and a few remarks, 
but something prevented at the time, and I have been 
very busy and preoccupied ever since. 
For the reason that I like the general doctrine, and 
wish to see it established, so much the more I am 
