Letter from A[sa] Gray to John Muir, 1876 Jul 14.

Herbarium of Harvard University,Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass.,July 14, 1876.Dear Mr. Muir:Yours of the 1st inst. and the Sequoia article is at hand. Probably I shall not go to Buffalo, but I will give the paper to the Secretary, Mr. Putnam.It is very interesting. You seem not to know that there is a new grove further north in Placer Co. Prof. Whitney told me of it. One thing I do not believe, and I do not think you prove, viz. that the Sequoias make the springs. Nor am I clear that you prove the trees were not existent beyond their present habitats, in former times. Are there not plenty of fallen Sequoias which made no ditches in falling?These are the two questionable points in your paper - me judice.Yours ever,A. Gray[Envelope addressed Mr. John Muir, 1419 Taylor Street, San Francisco, Cal.

Letter from A[sa] Gray to John Muir, 1872 Jan 4 .

glacier-ice, but in spicy wild perfume. What Pine seeds were those you sent - in a letter envelope no long ago - have been here 2 or 3 weeks. Your vivid delineation of glacier-life in its last throes, is reproduced in Silliman\u27s Journal for Jan\u27. Good Torrey was here a month ago - lively, but growing feeble. Ever yours A. Gray with heartiest wishes for the New Year.00563 BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. January 4 1872My Dear Muir Your letter of the 18th Dec. has been here 4 or 5 days. To-night comes the nice - glorious - package by Express. I have taken out the plentiful Torreya seeds, poked thro. a wilderness of superb Pilea mucro- ermata - & some Liliales all in first rate condition but dare not go farther in the warm room for fear of awaking the Primulas. Yet they, I see, were so admirably put up that they must needs be in good condi- tion. I am sick with a bad cold on lungs & throat, and dare not go now into the cold, where it will be kept till to-morrow my assistant overhauls them. What a splendid plant- finder you are, and I envy, while I shud- der over your walk. It seems to me here and now just astonishing Yet I dare say if I were with you and had my travelling legs on I should have gone with you Considering the very cold weather we have had, I wonder howthe plants got here without repeated freez- ing & thawing, which makes the mischief. But here they are, all right It was well thought of in you to prepay the package. - how much I cant see any record But your next must let me know. Our establishment foots all such bills, and is very thankful to us besides. Pray find a new genus, or at least a new species, that I may have satis- faction of embalming your name, not in Botanic Garden. Cambridge, Mass., January 4, 1872. My dear Muir:Your letter of the 18th Dec. has been here 4 or 5 days. To-night comes the nice glorious package by express. I have taken out the plentiful Torreya seeds, poked through a wilderness of superb Pilea mucroermata and some Liliales ail in firstrate condition, but dare not go farther in the warm room for fear of awaking the Primulas. Yet they, I see, were so admirably put up that they must needs be in good condition.I am sick with a bad cold on lungs and throat, and dare not go now into the cold,where it will be kept till tomorrow my assistant overhauls them.What a splendid plant-finder you are, and I envy, while I shudder over your walk. It seems to me here and now just astonishing. Yet I dare say if I were with you and had my travelling legs on I should have gone with you.Considering the very cold weather we have had, I wonder how the plants got here without repeated freezing and thawing, which makes the mischief. But here they are, all right.It was well thought of in you to prepay the package. How much? I can\u27t see any record. But your next must let me know. Our establishment foots all such bills, and is very thankful to us besides.Pray find a new genus. or at least a new species, that I may have satisfaction of embalming your name, not in glacier-ice, but in spicy wild perfume.What Pine seeds were those you sent in a letter-envelope not long ago? Have been here 2 or 3 weeks.Your vivid delineation of Glacier-life in its last throes, is reproduced in Silliman\u27s Journal for January.Good Torrey was here a month ago -- lively, but growing feeble.Ever Yours,A. GrayWith heartiest wishes for the New Year.5740056

Letter from A[sa] Gray to John Muir, 1873 Apr 9.

My Dear Mr. Muir BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. April 9 1873Thanks for your letter of Feb. 22 - 26, which arrived yesterday. And I have already nearly finished my report on your precious specimens. As you did not number them I have to [underline: locate] them, by putting the names on your slips that enclosed them. - sometimes too returning the specimen, or a part of it. So that you will identify them, I think. I grieve that I can\u27t go to California again this summer. Time & means are wanting. So I must stay at home, & work on Calif. Botany instead. If you will keep botanizing on the high Sierras, you will find curious & new things, no doubt, One such, at least, is in your present collection in letter - the we mouse-tail [underlined: Ivesia] - - And the rare [s\u27?] sp. of [underlined: Lewisia] is as good as [deleted: illegible] [underlined: new] - and is so wholly to California. I wonder if you get roots of [underlined: Whitneya dealbata] as soon as the snow has gone from them, you could not get them alive to me - to grow. It grows near Sentinel Dome, I believe. I gathered it on [underlined: Wawona] point above the Mariposa grove. Spring is unusually tardy here. To-day it is as chilly as - - - - as San Francisco in July! You will grieve with us over the death of dear good old Torrey. Gone to his rest in a good old age - but we miss him sadly.Ivesia Muirii is the first fruit. the day of small things . Get a new alpine genus - that I may make a [underlined: Muiria glacialis!] Ever Yours A. Gray Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass.April 9, 1873.My dear Mr. Muir:Thanks for your letter of Feb. 22 - 26 which arrived yesterday. And I have already nearly finished my report on your precious specimens. As you did not number them I have to locate them by putting the names on your slips that enclosed them, sometimes, too, returning the specimen, or a part of it. So that you will identify them, I think.I grieve that I can\u27t go to California again this summer. Time and means are wanting, so I must stay at home and work on Calif. Botany instead. If you will keep botanizing in the high Sierras you will find curious and new things, no doubt. One such, at least, is in your present collection in letter - the wee mouse-tail Ivesia. And the rare sp. of Lewisia. is as good as new, and is so wholly to California.I wonder if you get roots of Whitneya dealbata as soon as the snow has gone from them, you could not get them alive to me - to grow? It grows near Sentinel Dome, I believe. I gathered it on Wawona point above the Mariposa grove.Spring is unusually tardy here. To-day it is as chilly as -- as San Francisco in July!You will grieve with us over the death of dear good old Torrey. Gone to his rest in a good old age, but we miss him sadly. Ivesia Muirii is the first fruit the day of small things. Get a new alpine genus - that 1 may make a Muiria glacialis!Ever yours,A. Gray

Letter from A[sa] Gray to John Muir, 1880 Mar 31.

March 31, 1880My Dear MuirGlad to hear from you! The Alaska plants herewith returned, named, being all familiar. Glad you had such a good time. You should have [illegible] & sent us the [true?] [illegible] cypress, We [illegible] it, but need more. Hooker is well and busy as is your [illegible]A. Gra

Letter from Asa Gray to John Muir, 1878 Dec 27.

HERBARIUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY, BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 27. Dec. 1878My Dear Muir Yours of [illegible] is here. [underlined: Did you get the book] from [illegible] which [ Sargent?] took to you? Excuse getting back to [ underlined: tail?] of your letter — For in it Mother mentioned the news of the Campers you sent, & I am too busy to copy now. Mrs Gray is pretty well; but we both have bad colds. We send our heartiest [ kind?] wishes for the New Year, & are ever yours A[illegible

Letter from Asa Gray to John Muir, 1878 Dec 27.

HERBARIUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY, BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 27. Dec. 1878My Dear Muir Yours of [illegible] is here. [underlined: Did you get the book] from [illegible] which [ Sargent?] took to you? Excuse getting back to [ underlined: tail?] of your letter — For in it Mother mentioned the news of the Campers you sent, & I am too busy to copy now. Mrs Gray is pretty well; but we both have bad colds. We send our heartiest [ kind?] wishes for the New Year, & are ever yours A[illegible

Letter from Asa Gray to John Muir, 1878 Sep 12.

P.S. I find that the copy of [underlined: S[illegible] [illegible]] is still here. Mr. [ Sagent?] is so good as to take it to you.A. Gray 00813 HERBARIUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY, BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Sept. 12 1878My Dear Muir It will be pure luck, I suppose, if at this [illegible] you are within reach of this letter, by which I desire to introduce my associate and near friend, Prof. Sargent, the Director of our Garden and Ar[illegible], & his companion, Mr. Phillips. I do wish you [illegible] hold them fast[Page 2]and take them down to [underlined: Sequoia forests] on King’s River, and the like , But I fear you will find them even more [illegible] [illegible] [ Hooker?] and I were. I trust you duly received the copy of [underlined: S[illegible]] which [ Hooker?] sent out for you. Always I remain yours sincerely A[illegible] Gra

Letter from A[sa] Gray to John Muir, 1872 Dec 27.

Cone not come yet Dec. 28th 00640 HERBARIUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY, BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Dec 27 1872Dear Mr. Muir I was thinking of you, just before yours of the 15 came You know I had a lot of extras of your Amer Association paper printed. I sent a few to Mrs. Carr for you, & waited to know what I was to do with the rest. I had forgotten all about them, but on Xmas they turned up. As son as the postage on printed matter gets modified I had best send the parcel bodily to you. Your cone has not come yet. I suppose I may get it before I dispatch this - Glad you have studied [underlined: Sequoia] & I shall be eager to learn your results Yours cordially with best wishes for the New Year A. Gray Herbarium of Harvard University,Botanic Garden, Cambridge, Mass Dec. 27, 1872.Dear Mr. Muir:I was thinking of you just before yours of the 15th came. Tou know I had a lot of extras of your Amer. Association paper printed. I sent a few to Mrs. Carr for you, and waited to know what I was to do with the rest. I had forgotten all about them, but on Xmas they turned up. As soon as the postage on printed matter gets modified I had best send the parcel bodily to you.Your cone has not come yet. I suppose I may get it before I dispatch this. Glad you have studied Sequoia, and I shall be eager to learn your results. Yours cordially, with best wishes for the New Year,A. GrayCone not come yet Dec. 28th

Letter from Asa Gray to [John & Joseph Le Conte], 1881 Jul 26.

Royal Gardens, Ka[illegible]. July 26, 1881My dear President and ProfessorLet me join you together in introducing Professor Bryce of Oxford, whose name must be well known to you, and who will be pleased to know you and see smoothing of your young University, so we can better than yourselves03213 [Page 2]indicate the things which Prof. Bryce, in a short visit, will most wish to see in California. Believe me always Very truly yours A[illegible] GrayTo President Le Conte & Professor Le Conte University of California

Letter from Asa Gray to John Muir, 1878 Dec 27.

HERBARIUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY, BOTANIC GARDEN, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 27. Dec. 1878My Dear Muir Yours of [illegible] is here. [underlined: Did you get the book] from [illegible] which [ Sargent?] took to you? Excuse getting back to [ underlined: tail?] of your letter — For in it Mother mentioned the news of the Campers you sent, & I am too busy to copy now. Mrs Gray is pretty well; but we both have bad colds. We send our heartiest [ kind?] wishes for the New Year, & are ever yours A[illegible