Powells 1 Horticultural Garden 
14 ' 
ORCHI DS O N LY 
Balboa, Canal Zone, Panama 
page £ 
balboa, c. z., panama Uovember £0, l^£2 ,cjp 
your man in the field, travel and living away from home "being expensive 
in this primitive country, including the item of postage which it is 
estimated would amount to in the neighborhood of twenty dollars per 
month; I felt, that as I would have a large amount of personal work to 
do in the handling and the pressing and drying of specimens,after they 
were brought in, together with the controlling and directing of the man, 
that my labor was deserving of some recognition, which I could use in the 
upbuilding of my garden. I am sure that two men working over different 
routes, although in the same section, would redound to greateer results, 
one supplementing the other in the gathering of specimens and plants. 
They could thus cover more territory and return to unload the more quickly 
and go out again. It is my intention to send them over the same territo¬ 
ry more than one time, so as to catch the more plants in flower. Their 
first trip to the far interior will not yield as much as succeeding ones, 
because of unfamiliarity with the country. You must bear in mind that 
Panama is geographically quite a large country- some 500 miles long by 
about 40 at the narrowest. There are no wagon roads, only the narrow- 
trails used by the natives going from village to village or to the coast. 
Almost all travel and intercourse is by water. 
I have today sent word to the other man ; who lives on the Atlantic 
side nov-, that I had a job for him and to come over to see me. He used 
to work for me and is a splendid plant man. He speaks Spanish, Indian 
and French, He can get along where it would be difficult for almost any 
other one to do so- because of his knowledge of the Indian t he is half 
Indian). 
My intention and desire is to co-operate with you most whole-soully 
both as a sense of pleasure and to further American Orchidology. 
