330 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME. [1845, 



Dr. Gray is said to have stated that Mr. Sprague 

 had but one rival, — Riocreiix ; and he considered 

 that draiightsman's classical drawings inferior to Mr. 

 Sprague's. 



TO JOHN TOERBT. 



Cambkidge, March 8, [1845 ?] 



... I finish Lichens this afternoon ; and have 

 next two lectures on Fungi and spontaneous genera- 

 tion to give. I interweave a good deal of matter, 

 such as, on Ferns, the part they played in the early 

 times of the world, a la Brongniart. Mosses, filling 

 up lakes and pools ; Sphagnum, Peat. Lichens, first 

 agents in clothing rocks with soil. I have noble illus- 

 trations of rust in wheat, ergot, etc., and Sprague is 

 now hard at work on smut, a la Bauer. 



You remember the letter I sent you from Prestele of 

 " Ebenezer, near Buffalo," and which you still hold. 

 Well, he has sent me for inspection a most superb set 

 of drawings, both of cultivated and of some native 

 i:)lants, exceedingly well done. Also specimens of his 

 work in cutting on stone, which he does admirably. 

 He did the work in Bischoff's " Terminology," which 

 perhaps you remember, two quarto volumes. What a 

 pity he did not have the State-Flora plates to execute ! 



If Dr. Beck and yourself go on with your plan, he 

 is your man to engrave the plates on stone. Our lUi- 

 cium is now in full flower ; but I cannot spare Sprague 

 a moment to draw it yet ; unless, indeed, it is quite 

 certain you will want it this year, when I would try. 

 He must work hard for me two weeks longer. . . . 



My cutting up of " Vestiges of Creation " was a 

 fine blow, and told. Peirce, who you know was rather 

 inclined to favor Rogers a while ago, is now sound 



