John Torrey Papers (PP), Archives, The New York Botanical Garden

Correspondence from Asa Gray to John Torrey, dated 1831-1871. Gray's early letters establish the pattern of his correspondence to Torrey: notice of books and specimens sent and received; news of friends and colleagues; updates, discussion, and questions regarding their numerous joint projects; accounts paid and received; a smattering of personal news; and affectionate regards to Torrey and his family ("Tell dear Herbert ... that I look at his picture every day"). In the 1830s Gray casts about for steady employment, toys with the idea of moving south, or traveling to Mexico. (There are no letters from the period 1837-1840, when Gray traveled to Europe, or 1863-1868.) Once Gray settles in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his letters become more frequent; as years pass and Torrey and Gray take on the task of multiple botanical government reports in addition to their Flora, they mature into businesslike missives full of details of the commissioning and production of drawings and plates, and the distasteful task of navigating the political world. Gray's particular blend of personal circumspection ("Conclusions found in hurly-burly are good for nothing") and professional combativeness is much in evidence, as is his protectiveness toward his friend, and those who cause Torrey grief, like Charles Wilkes ("a very dirty fellow") and President James Buchanan ("a gross outrage"), are soundly dismissed. Obsolete and unresolved plant and animal names mentioned include Aplopappus, Arum quinatum, Azalea, Barrattia, Calypso borealis, Camassia fraseri, Carex flexilis, Chaetospora, Chenopodium virginicum, Chiogenes, Cnicus benedictus, Coniferae, Decachaena, Dentaria diphylla, Erythraea, Fremontia, Gautiera procumbens, Geranium fremontii, Gerardia, Gnaphilium germanicum, Helianthus dowellianus, Malachodendron pentagynum, Maruta, Oakesia conradii, Obeone, Onoclea obtusilobata, Phalangium croceum, Poa eragrostis, Poa obtusa, Poa quinquefida, Populus graeca, Quadriala, Ragiopteris obtusilobata, Salpiglossis prostrata, Sarracenia heterophylla, Schweinitzia, Stewartia pentagyna, Streptanthus obtusifolius, Stokesia, Taxodium sempervirens, Taxus nucifera, Tetraclea, Triptocalyx, Tuckahoe, Vesicaria, and Zygodon (Owens)

Digitized under grant #PW-234827-16 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

Finding aid for the John Torrey papers available from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden and online

Researchers' notes in folder 1: "There are nearly [sic] 300 letters in this collection. They were loaned to Mrs. Gray [i.e. Jane Loring Gray] when she was editing Dr. Gray's letters and since then they have been preserved in the order in which she placed them. The pencilled dates are in Mrs. Gray's writing." "Letters of Dr. Asa Gray to Dr. John Torrey. In the order in which they were arranged by Mrs. Asa Gray. The signed (J.L.G.) pencil notes are hers. The unsigned ones are those of Mrs. Britton [i.e. Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton]."

7 (304

Correspondence from Asa Gray to John Torrey, dated 1831-1874. Gray's early letters establish the pattern of his correspondence to Torrey: notice of books and specimens sent and received; news of friends and colleagues; updates, discussion, and questions regarding their numerous joint projects; accounts paid and received; a smattering of personal news; and affectionate regards to Torrey and his family ("Tell dear Herbert ... that I look at his picture every day"). In the 1830s Gray casts about for steady employment, toys with the idea of moving south, or traveling to Mexico. (There are no letters from the period 1837-1840, when Gray traveled to Europe, or 1863-1868.) Once Gray settles in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his letters become more frequent; as years pass and Torrey and Gray take on the task of multiple botanical government reports in addition to their Flora, they mature into businesslike missives full of details of the commissioning and production of drawings and plates, and the distasteful task of navigating the political world. Gray's particular blend of personal circumspection ("Conclusions found in hurly-burly are good for nothing") and professional combativeness is much in evidence, as is his protectiveness toward his friend, and those who cause Torrey grief, like Charles Wilkes ("a very dirty fellow") and President James Buchanan ("a gross outrage"), are soundly dismissed. Obsolete and unresolved plant and animal names mentioned include Aplopappus, Arum quinatum, Azalea, Barrattia, Calypso borealis, Camassia fraseri, Carex flexilis, Chaetospora, Chenopodium virginicum, Chiogenes, Cnicus benedictus, Coniferae, Decachaena, Dentaria diphylla, Erythraea, Fremontia, Gautiera procumbens, Geranium fremontii, Gerardia, Gnaphilium germanicum, Helianthus dowellianus, Malachodendron pentagynum, Maruta, Oakesia conradii, Obeone, Onoclea obtusilobata, Phalangium croceum, Poa eragrostis, Poa obtusa, Poa quinquefida, Populus graeca, Quadriala, Ragiopteris obtusilobata, Salpiglossis prostrata, Sarracenia heterophylla, Schweinitzia, Stewartia pentagyna, Streptanthus obtusifolius, Stokesia, Taxodium sempervirens, Taxus nucifera, Tetraclea, Triptocalyx, Tuckahoe, Vesicaria, and Zygodon (Owens)

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