7 
ET. 37.] TO W. J. HOOKER. 357 
What with these duties, superintending gardener, 
and painting and papering in the house, and Sprague 
drawing for the second volume of “Genera,” and I 
pdivting the first, with the printer ever on my heels 
for copy, and at the same time printing Memoirs and 
Proceedings of the Academy, and managing large 
correspondence, you may conceive that my hands are 
Yours most cordially, 
A. GRay. 
TO W. J. HOOKER. 
CAMBRIDGE, 2d May, 1848. 
IT send . . . a copy (roughly put into paper covers) 
of the first volume of “ Genera Ilustrata,” regretting 
there is not time to send you a bound copy. I hope 
you will like it. Sprague is improving fast, reads 
Brown’s papers, etc., and is getting a good insight 
into structural botany, even the nicest points. We 
mean to carry on the work, and I hope for considera- 
ble London sale of it. The price is $6, or in London, 
£1 10s., which I trust will be thought low. Please 
notice it in the “Journal.” The proceeds go princi- 
pally to support Sprague in carrying on the work. I 
put his name on the title-page without his knowledge 
and at the expense of his great modesty. 
I want to introduce the tussock grass on our east- 
ern coast, where it will thrive well. Is it too late to 
send this spring? Or will you send in autumn ? 
P.S.—The last steamer brought good news of 
peace and strength in England, diushpadian the alarm 
of many, but I felt none yael?, having a strong confi- 
dence in the soundness of Old Bagiast and the dura- 
bility of her institutions, of which I am here esteemed 
an over admirer. 
