^-T. 33.] TO JOHN TORREY. 327 



more open. Dr. Peck, who had visited Europe and 

 learned much of botanical gardens there, when com- 

 plimented on his success in laying it out, said that " he 

 felt he had been at work on a pocket-handkerchief ! " 

 Dr. Gray, as his letters show, fell earnestly at work to 

 restock the garden, and from his various journeys, his 

 correspondents, and the many seeds and roots which 

 were coming in from the Western explorations soon 

 made it a valuable spot for exchange. It is interesting 

 to note how many plants, now the common stock of all 

 gardens, were first grown and flowered here. One 

 bed for many years always went by the familiar name 

 of " Texas," as being the place where the new Texan 

 seeds were grown. The fund for endowment was very 

 small, and added greatly to the care of its oversight, 

 because of the effort to keep within the income. For 

 two years after Dr. Gray was living in the Garden 

 house, he gave up two bed-rooms to the greenhouse 

 plants, and so saved the Garden the expense of fuel for 

 that period! One of his first deeds was to abolish the 

 fee and make admission to the Garden free. It was 

 the first — and remained for more than sixty years 

 the only — public botanic garden in the country. 



TO JOHN TORKEY. 



Tuesday evening, October 1, 1844. 



I am about half fixed at the Garden, and shall prob- 

 ably sleep there to-morrow night. Were it not that 

 my woman-kind has disappointed me, we should dine 

 there to-morrow. . . . 



Dr. Wyman ^ wishes much to accompany Fremont if 

 he goes on another journey, entirely at his own expense, 

 if need be. As his object is entirely zoology, he will 



^ Dr. Jeffries Wymau. 



