
          Recd July 17th
 Ansd July 21st


 New York July 15th 1836


 Dr John Torrey


 Dear Sir


 As the nomination
 of Officers for the Horticultural Society takes
 place next Tuesday week I have with
 the advice of one or two others members, taken
 the liberty of writing to you, to ask you
 if you would be willing to accept the office 
 of President of the Society. It is as you
 are well aware, in a drooping state, we
 want some person to take the lead and
 enter into it with heart & hand and we
 do not see any person better qualified
 for [inserted: it] than yourself. The Society which at
 one time could muster 40 or 50 at a
 meeting can now with difficulty [inserted: only] get a 
 quorum of 7 once a month. Without pretending
 to know anything of your professional
 engagements, I think you could spare at 
 least one Tuesday evening in each mouth, the
 last Tuesday evening in each month being the 
 only one at which the President is expected 
 to be present, except at special meetings
 which are few.  A few of us intend having
 a private meeting next week to talk over
 affairs and should you be in town it will 
 give us pleasure if you will attend at the
 Lyceum on Tuesday evening. By returning
 an answer to this at as early an opportunity as
 possible you will oblige some of your friends
 of whom I have the happiness to call myself
 one.


 Yours, 
 James Hogg


 Address care of Alex Smith
 388 Broadway
        