
          Paris March 5th 1822


 Doctor Torrey,
 Sir,


 It is so long since I have had the honor
 to receive a line from your Doctorship, that you begin to
 seem to me like one with whom although I was once intimate
 yet having for some time past had little connection, I hardly
 feel myself at liberty to address by the familiar name of
 Jack. But I have nothing to do this evening & I want to talk
 to somebody about what I have seen this week in the botanical
 way, so that notwithstanding we are not on very [added with caret: good] terms I talk to you
 rather than holding tongue, as the gentlemen who are my companions
 at present though otherwise very agreeable know nothing of botany,
 as they have [liked? moments?] in Paris I will not take it [?]
 to assert that they are entirely ignorant [added with caret: either] of the sexual system or
 the natural method, but I doubt much whether they can [?] forth
 into the subject [these?] to know a style from a filament.


 According to his promise Michaux took [added with caret: me] last Saturday to the
 Garden of Plts [Plants] where he showed me the Gallery of Botany which is not
 open to strangers like the other parts of this Institution. The collection of 
 dried plants is immense, [crossed out: probably] no doubt the [largest one?] was made
 and is occupies a large apartment. It contains the private collections of
 many celebrated botanists with [Joseph Pitton de] Tournefort at the head. I will try
 to describe how they are put up & arranged, as experience has probably
 taught the [surveyors?] who direct things here the best way of doing this. At

        