BOTANY. 43 
whatever emanated from it, and that all letters on official business must be 
sent open to me, for my signature and frank. I returned with this message 
a sealed package for which my frank was asked. At another time I re- 
turned to Dr. Parry by my chief clerk, a letter which he had written and 
which I did not think proper should be sent, and which the Doctor pas- 
sionately tore up and threw into the waste basket. This he subsequently 
apologized for to the gentleman he had thus insulted. On the 25th of 
September, after these various conversations between my chief clerk and 
Dr. Parry, he wrote another ee addressed to ‘‘ My Dear Doctor.” 
It had no other designation. For whom it was intended, I did not learn, 
or if I did I have forgotten. It concluded, ‘“ yours, ‘ officially, ’ C. C. Parry.” 
I wrote on this letter, “ This is not very a ieee in its last sentence; 
akisa a Botanist can sign no official letters. What his ‘ official’ 
not understand, Hag under the a ea ea I think it is in- 
SEPE A BAe A t then occurred to me that I would dismiss 
Dr. Parry, but held the ate under advisement for two days, until the 
27th of September, when I received a note from him, in which he re- 
quested me to furnish him with written instructions (underscoring the 
word), and which contained two queries respecting letters from the De- 
partment. I did not think that he was in want of the information he 
longer TE his servic My conviction was then, and is now, that 
whatever may be the aa aoas of Dr. Parry as a botanist, he was not 
eR Soi creditably to discharge the duties which should devolve upon 
him in connection with this Department, and therefore, without passion 
or prejudice, I determined to dismiss him 
word in reply to your suggestion shank printing my letter and your 
Eas Se I decline to be a party myself to any such proceedings. But if 
you will take the whole ae neaaibility of it, I shall never complain that 
you have violated a confidence which I never intended to impose 
I am, very respectfully, 
FREDERICK Watts, Commissioner of Agriculture. 
BOTANIC GARDEN, ? 
Cambridge, Mas December 11th, 1871. 
To the Hon. Freperick Watts, U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture, Washing- 
ree foe O. 
My Dear S1r,—I have to thank you for your letter “Nov” [Dec.] 8th, 
in response to mine of Nov. 30. 
You will permit me to remark, that the dismissal, without an hour’s 
notice, of Dr. Parry from a position the duties of which he was thou ught 
to have performed acceptably to your predecessor, must of itself, if un- 
explained, cast an injurious reflection upon character or conduct. 
ing that Low re for such dismissal were of a nature which it would 
have been isagreeable for you to utter as for him to hear, and that 
you “do anti now desire to say anything about Dr. Parry which might dis 
