
          whether a given plant, about which he may happen to have [near?], grown in the vicinity of his immediate residence. Every summer, I have [illegible] applications, to instruct students (such as they are) to just about this extent; & every summer numbers relinquish the attempt to acquire even the small amount of knowledge, for want of such books as they are willing to try to use. I have this summer be[added:en] applicants, in behalf of the pupils of a boarding school for young ladies; but they would not even attempt to use Wood's Book. I have, several times, produced a thorough & absolute [illegible] of quite a little army of botanical pupils, by attempting to instruct them, by a natural system. I think I should never attempt such a thing again,- but, I have never had any such difficulty, when using [Loiunoan Method?]. It is all a small business however, & I never thought to have [meddled?] with it, if I had not been out of employment. It is true, I was always fond of the cultivation of Natural History generally, but much more especially botany; but with us, [illegible] be independent and respects [illegible] affairs, in order to be able to indulge in it. In the struggle & contest for employment, in the profession of medicine, a [illegible] for the pursuit of Natural History, will certainly be [lunged?] against him, & [prejudices?] will be the consequence. Were I to advise a young man, in regards to his best course, for the purpose of getting the best living, by the practice of physics, I should say most certainly eschew all reputation for anything commonly called science.

I buy no books of late, but by perfect accident, I happen to have had Lindley's Vegetable Kingdom, [illegible]. 1846, upon my table, for a little more than a month. It appears to me to be very valuable in its own way.

I suppose that I have been well acquainted with Cornus sericea, for at least thiry years; also, for about the same time, with Cornus circinata. I think also that I know equally well Cornus stolonifera of Michaux, which, by the bye, I was in the habit of calling Cornus sanguinea, till your & Dr. Gray's work corrected me, I supposed also that I knew Cornus paniculata, & Cornus alternifolia equally well, till quite lately. Cornus stricta ([illegible]) & Cornus asperifolia (Michaux), I never [supposed?] that I knew. For [illegible: ripped] summers now passed, as well as the present, I have [been?] obliged to conclude myself less wise than I supposed; for [illegible: ripped] first of June [added:(certainly] for three years,) I have had a [Cornus?] brought to me in blossom, with no other leaves, then a whorl of [illegible], at the foot of the common [padunale?] of the [cyune?], which agrees with the Cornus alternifolia, as you & Dr. Grary described it, in all respects, except the position of the leaves, & does not agree with your description of any other species. So the branches whic produce the cyunes at their extremely, [illegible] & [equatly?] elongate, so as to render the whorl of leaves alternate? Their petioles are never attached exactly to the [border?] of the same plane of the stem, but only [to near and?] just to warrant calling the leaves in a whorl. The branches are alternate, with "a smoother yellowish, green bark, generally streaked with oblong whitish spots." The flowers are of a "cream color." In the flowering season the leaves are oval, but not broad oval, [added:acriminate?]. They are "[glabraus?] above, the leaves surface whitish, & [secabrous?] with a minute [apprassed pubescence?]." As near as I can recollect the species does not appear like what I formerly called Cornus alternifolia. I have, long since, given away my specimens. The person who brings the plants in the summer, is not in the quarter, to bring it, when 
        