The commission of the Institut de France was charged with offering a prize on linguistics, under the will of Count Volney. Formerly, this essay was thought to have been by Baron Nicolas Massias (1764-1848), who won the Volney prize in 1828. However, the note that the volume was shipped from New York precludes that.

Mostly concerned with Blakeslee's studies on beans, blood groups, colchicine, Datura, embryo cultures, and horticulture. Many letters relate to the support and direction of the Smith College Genetics Experiment Station, which he headed. Other letters are about the Carnegie Institution of Washington, "Biological Abstracts," American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Philosophical Society, Institut de France, University of Connecticut. Also contains travel letters from Germany and miscellaneous lectures.