
          Du choc des opinions jai dit la verite!

Philadelphia April 1835

Botanical Remarks adressed to Jr. J. Torrey Prof
by Profr [Professor] Rafinesque.  On Botanical Criticism etc

1.  I hear with pleasure that you are labouring to compile & write
a general flora of North America according to the Natural Method

2.  Much is expected from you in such a vast undertaking, now that our
Botanical knowledge is so much improved & increased.

3.  It is no longer a mass of incongruities that ought to be brought forward 
by you, but a well digested & revised view of all the extant knowledge

4.  You may as to the amount of such knowledge adopt two plans, either
confining yourself to the plants see or investigated by yourself in which case
your Flora will be merely Torrey's flora, but not a general Flora.

5.  Or you may include, either by adoption or reference all [crossed out:to] all the plants of
North America, already published in 100 works, pamphlets & periodicals:
in which case you will really give a general Flora.

6.  I strongly advise you to follow this second plan:  because we shall then
have in a single work, a general view of all what has been done.

7.  But this does not dispense with criticism.  You ought not to follow the
steps of mere compilers without discrimination nor botanical accuracy.  Your
well known patient researches will not allow [added:you] to fall into that vicious way.

8.  But your hesitation in many instances may lead you to overlook what
ever may appear doubtful or obscure.  I warn you against this propensity.

9.  It is impossible for a single Botanist, even with the best means, and a
large correspondence to see, obtain or procure every plant of such a large
Country as ours.  There are always some so scarce, that they will escape his
researches for a whole life.  There are many that I have never seen yet myself
during 25 years of botanical travels & researches in Herbaria of other.

10.  It is a great mistake to suppose that in such a case such plants do not
exist, and to pass them over.  They must be introduced into a general flora in order
to lead the Botanists to search for them - they are exactly those they delight to
find and thus restore or make well known.

11.  You ought to divide your plants into several classes of knowledge, as
Decandole & the best Botanists do.  1.  Those well known, analyzed & examined
by yourself in their live state.  2.  Those seen dry by specimens & well ascertained
3.  Those well figured by some Botanical writers.  4.  Those badly figured or seen
in imperfect specimens.  5.  Not well known, not seen by you, but seen and well
described by some Botanist.  6.  Those refered [referred] to wroing Genera, or doubtful and
to be reviewd again.  7.  The most doubtful, of which only names or indications etc. 
have been published.

12.  Thus all our plants may be included in these categories and it is the business
of enquiring Botanists to make them pass gradually from one to the other, so as to
reach at last the first rate of knowledge.  When even if the Genus refered [referred] to is not
the best is properly fixed, yet any one can know the facts & characters to guide
his decision or choice of names.
        