1959 
June 8, 
My dear Dr. Standley: 
Your good letter of the sixth June was 
on my table t .is morning. I ought to refuse to help you, but 
I am not inclined to uo so. However, do >oa realize the mag¬ 
nitude of the task you throw my way so ligntly, just as if 
to write.- full generic ana specific descriptions for the huge 
orchid flora of Guatemala with pertinent synonymy might be 
performed as an after-thought to one’s daily dozen! And ,ith 
Dr. .iiliaxas I am doing the orchids of Mexico—a grand job— 
and I have promised Dr. Gleason to do the orchids of North 
America for the N. Y. Bot. Garb. affair if he will fina half 
the salary of a co-worker who will relieve me of the* purely 
clerical ..ork. 
I am not inclined to ao a mere compil&tion. 
Of course, we have a pretty ell worked herbarium now ana the 
critical work has been done on a host of puzzles. But whenever 
I attempt to cover a region I find problem after problem. And 
then additional material begins to flow in introducing a whole 
crop.of new troubles. Ana on t p of it all I am growing old and 
take long vacations. 
Send on the specimens you wish to have 
identified. Guatemalan orchids give very little trouble and 
I enjoy working on them. 
You may not have heard of my having done 
so, but recently I gave my herbarium to Harvard with an en¬ 
dowment sufficient to pay the salary of a curator. I retain 
all the freedom of private ownership and govern the policies 
and management for life* I have not advertised this because , 
I always feel reluctant about telling tilings on myself, hat 
pleases me is the thought chat the Authorities realize the 
magnitude and Importance of the gift. 
I have hepled rs. Lewis from time to time 
to time and take real pleasure in hr notes and efforts. Dr. 
Jonnston, on the other hand, has been a disappointment. I 
suppose he does’nt neea my help. 
Send me some samples of what you want 
done, that is an Idea of the thoroughness with which you wi sfa 
genera and species described. Also an idea of the- "pertinent 
synonymy”. 
with all good wishes. 
Sincerely yours, 
£ i G 
