20 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



Did it rise from seed ? (Yes. D. D.) — Mr. Tracy informed me that 



tte Erythraea wliicli was found on the Missouri by Mr. Nuttall had 



been lately found 12 miles from Albany shortly since. We set out for 



it, but on our arriving at the spot we had the mortification to look 



at the spot but unable to get to it. It was on a rising spot in the middle 



of an extensive swamp which was completely inundated by the late rains. 



Mr. Tracy expressed his extreme regret, but pledged himself to transmit 



plants to Mr. Hogg at New York for the Society next year on its showing 



itself. On our way home we observed in a wood near the city, in light red 



soU, a species of Corallorrhiza difierent from those at Lockport, Pyrola 



maculata,^ P. umbellata " and P. secunda, and a small species of annual 



Polygala. On the dry places grew Epigaea repens. Quercus sp. 18, a 



stately tree almost everywhere, foliage large and entire, fruit small and 



yellow. The trees were covered with pigeons pecking the fruit ; on rocky 



soU. Called on Stephen van Ransaleer,^ Esq. , who is the most wealthy man 



in the United States. He has a large garden and orchards, and a fine range 



of hothouses, chiefly filled with vines. The grapes were all cut and hung 



on strings in a fruit-room. Mr. van Ransaleer, being of Dutch ejctraction, 



has many friends on the continent of Europe, who furnish him with difierent 



kinds of fruits ; there Were Blach Prince, Hamburgh, White Sweet Water, 



Grizzly Frontignan, and Malmsey. No attention is paid to the native vines 



of North America. His apples and pears are much the same as at New 



York and Philadelphia ; plvims thrive much better. He has a large space 



of ground occupied as pleasure or flower garden, which is a novelty in 



America, as little attention is paid to anything but what brings money or 



luxury for the table. His flower garden is kept in good order, under the 



direction and management of his daughters, with much taste. Roses from 



France, herbaceous plants from Germany, grace the plots, with annuals, 



&c., from London. I had a letter of introduction to him from Governor 



CUnton. Mr. van Ransaleer is a man of taste. He used me with kindness 



and invited me to breakfast should I make it convenient. 



Albany, Saturday, October llih. — Early in the morning I called on 



Jesse BuU, Esq., a friend of Governor Clinton's, and formerly printer for 



the State of New York. He has now retired from a pressing business with 



an ample fortune, to his pleasing pursuit of farming and gardening, of which 



he is very fond and shows skill in both. His garden is yet in infancy, but 



laid out with taste and utiUty. His farm is large and all divided by 



hedges of Crataegus Oxyacantha from Britain. Hedging is a thing unknown 



in a general sense. Mr. Bull ofiered to send me some things to New York 



as my time was limited. He was kind and very afiable for the short 



space of four hours' acquaintance. On my way to Albany I called on Paul 



Clark and saw Coluniba migratoria in a domesticated state. I waited 



on Governor Clinton, who was to see me at New York after furnishing 



me with a letter of introduction to James Thomson, Esq., of ElersUe, at 



whose house I was already used very politely, unknown to Mr. Clinton. 



After making acknowledgment for the very great interest which he had 



^ Chimaphila maculata, A. Gray, Syn. Fl. N. Am. ii. i. p. 45. 



* Chimaphila umbellata, A. Gray, loc. cit., p. 45. ' (?) Rensselaer. 



