53 



botanical excursion to Florida. Mr. Canby always spoke of this 

 trip as one of the most delightful of his botanical experiences. 

 The excursion is of public interest because it was very influential 

 in extending Mr. Canby 's interest in the North American flora, of 

 which he afterward accumulated such an excellent representation. 



Two years later, he made extensive collections in the north- 

 eastern United States and in Canada, afterward using this mate- 

 rial for exchange purposes, in building up his herbarium. In the 

 succeeding years he made a number of similar more or less ex- 

 tended collecting tours in different portions of the country, and 

 accumulated a large amount of exchange material. Among his 

 exchange correspondents were Doctors Gray and Engelmann, 

 through whom his exotic herbarium was largely acquired, 

 although he arranged a number of similar exchanges during a 

 brief trip to Europe in 1859 (?). 



In 1866, Mr. Canby abandoned farming, and took up his resi- 

 dence in Wilmington, where he quickly laid the foundation for a 

 broad and highly successful business career; fairly successful in 

 his own interest, more so in the sterling honesty and punctilious 

 honor with which he guarded the interests which others confided 

 to his keeping. He was for a time President of the Delaware 

 and Western Railroad and, upon its absorption by the Baltimore 

 and Ohio, he became a Director of the latter company, a position 

 which he held up to the time of his death. In 1880, he became 

 President of the Wilmington Savings Fund Society, which posi- 

 tion, also, he held at the time of his death. He was connected 

 with various other financial enterprises and was especially active 

 in conducting or advising in the finances of various benevolent 

 organizations, especially the Home for Friendless and Destitute 

 Children. He was a member of the Piesbyterian Church and 

 was active in church and Sabbath-school work. Probably no 

 other of the numerous public enterprises with which he was con- 

 nected interested him more, or yielded greater or more permanent 

 results, than the admirable public park system of his city, of 

 which he was one of the designers. He continued active in the 

 administration of these parks as long as he was able to work, 

 and the preservation of their features of natural beaut}', the liber- 

 ality of their treatment, and the de\elopment of their scientific 



