E 
THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCHWEINITZ AND TORREY 279 
TORREY TO SCHWEINITZ 
New York, November 2nd 1833 
My Dear Sir 
If you were to judge from my great delay in replying to your 
letters that I valued your correspondence but little I could hardly 
blame you very much, were you unacquainted with the fact that I 
am occupied in many concerns besides botany. But you know 
that I have my hands full of business, & that if I am not so prompt 
a correspondent as some others, it is not always my fault. Since I 
received your kind letter of the 2nd of September last I have 
attended as much to plants as possible & have not forgotten you 
when any duplicates came in my way.—But I will first reply to 
your letter before I make any remarks on other matters. I am 
much pleased to hear of your improved health, & hope that you 
will not soon be so dreadfully afflicted as you were for some time 
before I left this country for Europe. You must have suffered 
much if you are willing to compound for Gout! The parcel which 
Dr. Hooker consigned to my care no doubt reached you safely, & 
I know that the contents pleased you much. I was present when 
the specimens were selected for you by our excellent friend,— 
Mrs. H. wrote your labels, while the Dr. called out the names.— 
The parcel left at Mr. Van Vleck’s on the 6th of December last (I 
keep an exact record of all my doings in this way) contained your 
shares of Gates’ last plants (some very good things) & some 
duplicates of Dr. Pitcher’s collections on the Arkansas & Red 
Rivers. You may yet find the parcel—for on my return from 
Europe I received my long expected copy of Dr. Greville’s Algae 
britan. [26] which was between two & three years on its way to me. 
I rejoice in your acquisition of Dr. Baldwin’s plants, though 
you may suspect that my joy is not without some selfish feeling,— 
for you generously offer me a share of your duplicates. By this 
time you must have completed the examination of your treasures, 
& have learned the value of them. The Georgia & Florida speci- 
mens that you may have to spare I shall be most happy to re- 
ceive. As soon as your list is complete I hope you will allow me 
to have it by an early opportunity, or by mail, & I will then mark 
such as are desiderata with me. In distributing your duplicates 
I hope you will be able to send a few to our friend Dr. Hooker— 
