155 



sketch of the hfc of this early botanical friciul ancl helper in 

 Pittonia), had been in possession of these, and we had often 

 looked over them toji^ether, admiring the wealth of those new 

 regions in species and genera to us unknown; he regretting the 

 improbability of his ever travelling so far from his Wisconsin 

 home, but more than once fondly prophesying that his boy 

 friend would go there, and would do much for the devehjpment 

 of the botany of those new lands. 



"In writing to Dr. Gray, late in 1869, I had expressed my 

 purpose of going, and had asked him what books and papers 

 bearing in Colorado botany were available; and his response, 

 though brief, was most generous. It reads as follows: 



" 'Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass. 

 " '12 Jan. 1870. 

 " 'Mr. Greene. 

 " 'Dear Sir: 



" 'Dr. Torrey having come on to visit me, I have hardly had 

 time to attend to anything but him. But I have now put up 

 a parcel containing the Flora of North America and a few smaller 

 things, and it will go to your address tomorrow. Well, in 

 Colorado please send me what you can — notes and collections. 

 "'Very truly yours, 



" 'A. Gr.\y' 



"The copy of Torrey and Gray's Flora which was thus furn- 

 ished me by the kindness of its chief author is still in my posses- 

 sion, and is held as one of the best treasures of my library. It 

 has been my companion upon many a thousand miles of western 

 travel, and my surest guide in the study of the plants of Colorado, 

 Wyoming and New Mexico, of Arizona and California, of Oregon 

 and of Washington, Idaho, Montana and Nevada. I have 

 given expression to my appreciation of it somewhat at length, 

 in the first volume of Pittonia. 



"The 'smaller things' referred to in the above letter were 

 selections from his earlier Contributions, as they were called, 

 published in the Proceedings of the Ajner'ican Academy of Arts 

 and Sciences. The paper on New Plants of California and 



