^T. 23.] TO JOHN TORREY. 43 



received quite certainly within the year. I have only 

 to say further that the college has now one hundred 

 students, is situated in a beautiful village nine miles 

 from Utica, has the best college buildings of any in 

 the State, has a good faculty, etc. I urged the prom- 

 ise I had made of the visit to Georgia, which this plan 

 would entirely frustrate, but promised to give him a 

 definite answer within a fortnight. 



I can scarcely think of postponing my southern 

 tour for another season ; but the question comes to 

 this, whether, in the present state of my finances, I 

 had better expend $100 in that visit or earn |200 in 

 the same time. I could also, I think, continue my 

 engagements here in July and August, by which a 

 little more of the trash might be pocketed, and return 

 to New York in time to make a SejDtember excursion 

 to the dearly beloved pine barrens of New Jersey, and 

 spend the early part of fall in botanical wbrk, and 

 the winter in your laboratory. The term closes here 

 the 23d of April (a little earlier than I supposed) ; so 

 if the original plan is pursued I shall be in New York 

 by the 26th of that month. If not, I shall be disen- 

 gaged for a month, a portion of which I should like to 

 devote, with my friend Dr. Crawe, to the minerals 

 of St. Lawrence County. So rests the case. I told 

 Dr. H. that I should write immediately to you, and 

 be governed in a good degree by your answer. 



I have such a dislike to the appearance of vacilla- 

 tion which results from changing one's plans when 

 fully formed, that were it not for certain ulterior ad- 

 vantages, and that I wish to comply with the wishes, 

 as far as may be, of a person to whom I am much 

 obliged, I should promptly decline Dr. Hadley's 

 offer. 



