The Getting of the Plants

Monday, November 17th, 1823 – At Flushing and got part of the trees up. Could not get finished as Mr Prince has not all the plants which are ardently needed. Many times he expressed himself pleased with the Society and is to put up a collection of fruits, which will be an acquisition, especially as I have almost failed with Coxe.

So Prince is not quite making good on what Douglas expects, and Douglas is beginning to suspect that he never will.

From 18th to 22nd – Employed packing plants etc., Got part of the boxes on board.

Sunday November 23rd – Wrote to Joseph Sabine Esq., and finished putting up my dry plants. At church in the afternoon.

26th – Received the trees from Philadelphia and Burlington, got them from the wharf, ordered boxes for them, I now feel a little at ease.

Thursday 27th – Got remainder of trees etc. packed and taken down to the vessel, and box from Baltimore.

29th – Received boxes from Flushing and transmitted on board ship; packing and at Mr Hogg’s.

30th – Accompanied Mr Hogg to some of his friends in the country

Reading between the lines of his Journal, this is clearly a bit of an anxious time for Douglas. He will be judged by his employers on what he brings back and it's all coming together in the last few days. He needs to actually receive all the trees he has ordered from various sources, get them boxed up for the voyage home, get them to the wharf and supervise their loading. This will be hard work and require lots of coordination from him, overseeing people who probably don't attach the same importance to his trees as he does.

 

Meanwhile, with the other hand, he is doing the same with his more transportable dry material. It all feels a bit last-minute. He has another few days of packing and loading to get through, and one last confrontation with Mr Prince at Flushing. But he's nearly done.