Viewing page 123 of 130

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

121

to leave room for additions. He crosses out "[[strikethrough]] [[6?]] [[/strikethrough]] so and so" when he does not agree. The diener distributes according to this amended Kew. It strikes me as bunglesome, and the necessity of sticking to Kew genera in Andropogoneae, Paniceae, etc., a hampering restriction. I [[underlined]] think [[/underlined]] it is a Rijks herbar ruling. I hope he will see the advisability of having it changed. The genera in each family are arranged alphabetically. Of course I did not criticise it--I recall Mr. Hubbard's frequent statements of what they did "up there" and Miss Kimball's of the Garden's arrangements and methods. Later I told him of our segregated, indexed types, and that the herb was arranged according to Hackel's genera in Engler & Prantl, a mss index based thereon being kept up to date, also that we have mss working keys to our U.S. species. He was much interested. He has had almost no acquaintance with systematic botanists. In Holland they all run to physiology, genetics, etc. In the University at Utrecht, when a student, he protested to the professor that he received no instruction in systematic botany. The professor told him it was of little importance, he could easily study that by himself Hackel has been his great help and friend, though he never saw him till two years ago.----- Brussels herbarium isn't as large as I had expected, and I did not get so very much. Dr. Vermoesen let me work as long as he did, which was till nearly 7 two evenings. I don't recall that I told you much about Brussels. Henrard and Leiden so filled my mind. I spoke of the Martius herbarium that I had been told was at Brussels. Vermoesen told me that Dumortier (whose little Agrost Belge we have) was Belgian minister to Bavaria at the time Martius died. He communicated with his government and induced them to buy the herbarium from the University at Munich. I wish we had botanists for ambassadors! He showed me the marble bust of Dumortier at the end of the herbarium. Perhaps you remember it. I had a surprise there one morning. I working with my grasses spread

Transcription Notes:
Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (Engler and Prantl)