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Correspondence of Charles Peck and G. W. Clinton February 22, 2011 |
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The
Correspondence of Charles
Peck (1833-1917) and George
William Clinton (1807-1885) 1867 Vol. 4 (24) [G 201] My Dear Sir, The Regents Cab. Rept. is printed, as you doubtless already know, ‑
at least all of it that is to be issued at present. I have already mailed a
copy to each botanist who so kindly aided me in making up the List of N.Y.
Mosses ‑ except to yourself who of course have copies from a more
direct source. I state this so that we need not both send to the same person.
I will also send one to Rev. J. Fowler and to Prof. Pearson of Chas. H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Recd Feb. 15 Vol. 4 (27) [G 198] My Dear Sir; Prof. Hall is desirous that I should take hold of the Herbarium. He wishes
me to do what you had in mind to have me do when you proposed the matter to
me some time ago. He says he himself will be responsible for my pay to the
extent of $200, i.e. if I will put the Herbarium in "shape" and the
authorities will not pay me, he will. What I would like is a little more
definite idea as to what you would wish to have done. My supposition is that
the "Beck collection" is to be overhauled, specms. remounted when
necessary, nomenclature revised and specms arranged in the Cabinet or case
prepared for them. There are also some packages of plants contributed by
various persons; from which specms are to be selected, mounted, and
incorporated in the State Coll. proper, if this has not already been done by
yourself; the others to be put away for exchange. I suppose, however, that no
plants are to be put in the State Col. proper except such as have been
collected within the limits of the state; also that the Beck Coll. is to be
kept distinct and entire by itself. But of this coll. there appears to be a
double sett [sic] of mosses; one composed of specms on herbarium sheets
placed between large covers (as are the other plants) another on small sheets
placed in small covers (about octavo size). Is there any reason for keeping
these distinct from the others. If I have any misapprehensions of the things to be done please
correct me and add as many cautions, suggestions, and directions as you deem
advisable. My desire is to put the state herbarium in an improved condition
and besides to add to it as many of the species of native mosses as possible. Yours very truly Chas. H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Recd & ansd Feb. 9 Vol. 4 (31) [G 194] My Dear Sir; In accordance with your views I shall abide the action of the Legislature
‑ at least I shall do nothing with the State herbarium without your
sanction. Prof. Hall does not seem to have much faith in the Legislature's
making a special appropriation yet I had rather do nothing than to do wrong. Very truly yours Chas. H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Recd. Feb. 13 Vol. 4 (86) [G 136] My Dear Sir; I have to‑day had a perfectly satisfactory interview with
Prof. Hall. He is quite willing that I should retain my present employment
and devote what time I can to the State Botany. I told him that I considered
$500 (the lowest sum suggested by you) a sufficient recompense, but that if
they saw fit to pay me more I should spend more in collecting. But the sum
mentioned, I think under the circumstances, is enough to begin with. It will
enable me to make a good round trip to the In case the Legislature shall make the appropriation will it be
necessary to await any farther action on the part of the Regents? Yours very truly Chas. H. Peck Recd. March 23 Vol.4 no. 94 [G 128] My Dear Sir; I regard the mosses you send as follows; 1 Physcomitrium pyriforme 2 A doubtful Bryum ‑ possibly B. annotinum as I thought I
observed the little axillary bulbs, mentioned in the Manual. Did I ever send
you good Bryum annotinum? Will do so now. 3 Aphanorrhegma serrata. (without fruit) 4 Another doubtful Bryum ‑ apparently B. caespiticium. 5 Bryum pyriforme and Hypnum serpens, (mixed) 6 Funaria hygrometrica 7 Fissidens bryoides. (Fine specimens) Dr. Howe is certainly an active energetic worker. He took the
Astomum sullivantii almost from under my eyes, having found it just back of
the University at Very truly yours Chas. H. Peck G. W. Clinton, Esq. Recd March 29 Vol. 4 (114) [G 106] My Dear Sir; Your naming does not sustain your self‑distrust, for your
labels of the specms sent are all correct viz. 1 is Funaria hygrometrica (pedicels &c. just shooting up) 2 Barbula unguiculata 3 "(Tree)" Orthotrichum anomalum 4 "(rock)" Orthotrichum anomalum 5 "(Tree)" Orthotrichum strangulatum Much of the fruit of the Barbula appears to have been destroyed. I
have often found fine tufts of moss, for instance, Bryum nutans, with the
fruit nearly all nipped from the pedicel. It would be interesting to know the
author of the mischief. I suspect some insects, but possibly it is some small
animal. I recently had the good fortune to get a specm. of the rare Allosorus achrostichoides,
from Mr. H. Gillman of It cannot now be long before we shall now [sic] what the Legislature
will do for the advancement of science. Very truly yours Chas. H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Recd. Ap. 7 Vol. 4 (121) [G 99] My Dear Sir; The little moss "spindling up from flower pots in
conservatories" is Bryum pyriforme. It is in flower. The
species fruits in May or early June. Your conservatories appear to be quite
mossy. Very truly yours Chas. H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Recd. Ap. 10 Vol. 4 (127) [G 93] My Dear Sir; The mosses of Apr. 6th are "No. 1 stubble fields", Barbula
unguiculata; "No 2 gravelled walk", Dicranum varium.
This last is showing that he is not very particular about his place of
growth. I have found him on clay banks, wet gravelly banks and in wet sandy
places beyond Spring has at length come and I shall at once commence the summer's
campaign. Very truly yours, Chas. H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Vol. 5 (1) [B231] My Dear Sir, The memoranda are received. Thanks for them. In looking over the Manual (New Ed.) I find several species credited
to I am a little perplexed because I do not find Solidago thyrsoidea,
in Dr. Torrey's Report nor in yours. I found it much more abundant on I have a Scirpus from the Pine plains which I hope may be a good
thing. It comes near S. sylvaticus as characterised in the New
Edition but the bristles have a short naked space at the base,
1/5 ‑ 1/6 their length. Have sent it to Prof. Gray. Will write to Dr. Engelmann immediately and send him the Naias. Yours very truly Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Oct. 24 1867 [Note: Dysodia
Sprengel as opposed to the genus Dyssodia Cavanilles. In Gray’s Fifth Edition
of his Manual of the Botany of the Vol. 5 (4) [B228] My Dear Sir, I have looked at the mosses sent and would label thus: Suspension Bridge
May x1 A conferva [alga] unknown to me x2 Hypnum curvifolium x3 Hypnum serpens (the fruiting one) also a little of some doubtful
Hypnum perhaps laetum or rutabulum and a stem or two of Mnium x4 Mnium cuspidatum x5 Hypnum aduncum x6 Bryum bimum 1a Bryum caespiticium b Weisia viridula 2 Schistidium apocarpum x3 Mastigobryum trilobatum x4 Polytrichum juniperinum (masculine flowers) x5 Ceratodon purpureus and Bryum argenteum? (2 plants) x6 Ptilidium ciliare and small Dicranum flagellare x7 Atrichum angustatum and Dicranum heteromallum x1 Hypnum cuspidatum x2 Hypnum filicinum x3 Bryum wahlenbergii (sterile) x4 Hypnum noterophilum x5 The beautiful but to me unknown conferva. Shall keep these things
with the hope that at some time they may be known by their proper names. I
have a more robust, black one from rocks top of x6 This
I suppose to be a form of Bryum bimum and would so consider it unless the
inflorescence or fruit shall hereafter show it to be something else. x7 Hypnum filicinum x8 Hypnum filicinum & Bryum bimum x9 Hypnum revolvens. You appear to be the only one who finds this
species in the State. I wish that sometime when at x10 Chiloscyphus polyanthos. So called by Mr. Austin, but I never
could find amphigastria nor inflorescence though the plant is not rare. x11 Bryum cyclophyllum x12 Hypnum noterophilum x13 Chiloscyphus polyanthos x14 Hypnum adnatum x15 Hypnum aduncum ( x16 Anomodon attenuatus x17 Hypnum noterophilum x18 Hypnum giganteum. It does me good to see my old friends from Caledonia Bryum
cyclophyllum, Hypnum noterophilum giganteum, etc. It shows that they still
live and thrive. A letter from Mr. Lesqx. dated at I have Scirpus sylvaticus from Pine barrens and Carex
houghtonii from Yours very truly Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Dec. 20 Vol. 5 (8) [B224] My Dear Sir, The mosses from 1 Campylopus viridis 2 Leucodon julaceus Pylaisaea intricata I have not yet heard from Mr. Lesqx. concerning the mosses sent him
some time ago, he being absent from home. Fearing to wait too long I have
handed in my list as it is, leaving the doubtful things for the future. Mr. Denslow has sent us Cheilanthes vestita, from Yours very truly Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Glad you mentioned Solidago puberula from Luzerne.
Received Nov. 8 & wrote him Vol. 5 (14) [B217] My Dear Sir, I have handed in the list of new species etc. and do not know how
Mr. Hankersons observations or rather discoveries, and the Alyssum calycinum
can be inserted unless we annex them as "addenda". Had I better do
that or let them go over to the next Report? I inclose a few more seeds of Atriplex rosea. The plants are now all
withered and dead. The seeds drop from the plant in their envelope.
I have just heard from Dr. Engelmann to whom I sent specimens of the
Naias, in accordance with your suggestion. He says of it "It does not
agree with my European specimens of Najas minor, in fruit nor in the teeth of
the leaves nor in the shape of the triangular appendages, but I have no means
to compare it with other specimens and have therefore sent it to Prof. Braun
of Berlin, who has particularly studied that genus. I consider it distinct
from any other species that I can find described." This, with Prof. Gray's remark that he had no specimens with which
to compare it and therefore depended on the description above, would indicate
that the plant may not yet be quite satisfactorily determined. Dr. Engelmann also states that we have two species of Wolffia
in the state; W. Columbiana being the one found by Mr. Austin in Orange Co:
the other, found by Mr. Paine being W. Braziliensis. This last one has also
been found since in Yours very truly Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received & answered Nov. 14 Vol. 5 (18) [B213] My Dear Sir, Mr. Lesqx makes Schistidium agassizii for you from
Luzerne ‑ a species new to the state. Inclosed is a specimen. Of the doubtful thing from There was but a very little of this in your Pylaisaea and
Orthotrichum from Yours very truly Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Nov. 30 Vol. 5 (34) [B197] My Dear Sir, You have Hypnum scitum from Luzerne. I have it also
from the I have been anxiously expecting you here, wishing much to talk with
you a little about the future. My employer, Mr. Cass has sold out his school
and will close Feb. 1st. This will throw me out of employment, and being too
poor to live without work, I must seek something more to do. Teaching is
beginning to induce in me a bronchial affection which makes it desirable for
me to leave it, at least for a time. My whole heart and delight is in the
work you have given me to do. I only wish it might be possible for the Regents to allow me to
devote my whole time to it, at a moderate salary, for a limited period
if they like or until the State Coll. shall be satisfactorily completed. I
can see enough to be done to occupy me at least three or four years. The
phaenogams are far from being completed, as I myself during the past season
found five or six new to the state; seeds of a large majority ought to be
collected; woods represented; and of the Fungi alone there are at least as
many species as there are of flowering plants and probably more. If desired
and time were given I could make as fine a collection of insects as
any body else. A lecture or two on botany to be delivered before Academies or
teachers institutes would not in my view be an unimportant
nor uninteresting thing. $1500 besides incidentals would be the utmost
that I would ask for a year's salary, and if this be thought too much I would
work for 1200 rather than not do it. I wish you might consider this matter a
little before the annual meeting of the Regents, and if you look upon
it favorably, I am quite confident they will. It may not be advisable
to make any change before my first year until the present bargain has
expired, but in that event I would try to get along some way until the 1st
July. Nothing but my urgent necessity and my fondness for this kind of work
has induced me to broach this matter so soon after your telling me it was expedient
to pinch a little on your expenses. Yours truly Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Dec. 20 |
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