304 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME.  [1848, 
TO W. J. HOOKER. 
October 14, 1845. 
Your excellent father lived to a truly patriar- 
chal age. Mine, who has been in failing health for 
some time, I learn to-day is suddenly and extremely 
sick, and I set out for my birthplace immediately, in 
hopes yet to see him once more. 
His father died October 18, before he reached 
Sauquoit. He had made his son a visit in Cambridge 
after he was established at the Garden house, more 
especially to consult a physician for his failing health. 
TO JOHN TORREY. 
CamBripGr, November 15, 1845. 
My visit to Oakes! was chiefly to this intent. You 
know that I have been waiting and waiting for Oakes 
to give, not his New England “ Flora”? (which I fear 
he will always leave unfinished), but a prodromus of 
it, for my use and for New England. The conse- 
quence of waiting is that Wood? is just taking the 
market, against my “ Botanical Text-Book,” mostly by 
means of his “ Flora.” Letters from Hitchcock — 
and elsewhere — all point to the probability that they 
will have to use his book (of which, by the way, he 
is preparing a second edition, which he cannot but 
improve), and ask me to prevent it, by appending a 
brief description of New England or Northern plants 
to my “ Botanical Text-Book.” A plan has occurred to 
me by which this might be done, were it not that I 
will not tread on the heels of anything that Oakes 
1 William Oakes, 1799-1848. “The most thorough and complete 
collector and investigator of New England plants” [A. G.]. 
phonso Wood, 1810-1881; author of popular botanical text- 
