
          as in four petals, [?] should be five, & an abortive one or an
obliterated one is added, & in ever so many other case, we add or
obliterate, to suit the case. I do not like this. I [?] against
it when I first saw it. It seems like unnecessary contradictions. The
elements of the System in Beck's Botany have many such. So
has Lindley, &, is it necessary for this?!! I had hoped you would
remove all this.

I have no doubt you can make the system
intelligible, or that I do, but that without a teacher, it can
be carried so as to find out plants with [ease?], I do not see. The philosophical
views can be had with the Lin. Method, & are they not
had, before you get to the orders, so that orders, & genera, are artificial enough. As to [properties?], [?], physiology of plants, they can
be added to either system.

Are you to have one whole copy of the Reports?!! Splendid.
You work for the Empire State. I hope to get your Botany,
but I can not buy it.

I have no drawing of that Pinguicula.

That hoax about that gigantic fungus is well, &
Mr. C. is obliged by your attention to it. I told him it was
absurd.

Did I send you 3.00 to pay to Wiley & P.

You did not send me any Carices from Nicollet's Ex[page torn: Expedition]
I have rcvd. C. arida, from towards the Missisipp[page torn], a
good species.

I get Kunze's Carices. I wrote Dr. Gray
to get them for me, & I could pay at once. Is there
any [?] No.? I have not rcvd. one since last June.

I read in the natl. system, that a calyx is a whorl of
modified leaves, so the corol, so the stames, so the [crossed out: [style?]]
pistill. Why not the seed too? The The seed as often brings forth
leaves as the others.

About root & stems there is
great improvement in the language of Botany in the
Nat. Method.

The [?] system was improved;
the Huttonian also, Brogniant & d'Halloys cut up
all by the roots, & yet [these?] [last/lost?] do not go. I wish the
old had been improved in Bot.

Do send me any Carices you have for me. Soon.

Yours ever

C. Dewey

J. Torrey M D. [?], 
        