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many new species, & the labor[stet] of detailing & analysing the flowers of so many hundreds of glued specimens is fearful. A whole morning often is spent over one flower! -- perhaps to be swept off the microscope plate as impractical. Of some it is impossible to macerate the flowers, even if you can get them off the papers. I shall however stick to them as long as my eyesight allows & my hands continue steady; but I would venture to suggest that all altogether new collections of the species should be made for the Calcutta Herbarium, the specimens
Feb[ruary]*1 3 1901
THE CAMP.
SUNNINGDALE.
My dear Prain
Your bounteous supply of seeds has arrived -- many thanks, I must try some of the most tempting, but, to tell the truth, without a much better gardener than I can boast of, the raising of seeds is a disappointment. I have however plenty of friends who will be glad to share them with me, so I can assure you that they will not be wasted.
I am deep in Sikkim Balsams & on the verge of despair, there are
many new species, & the labor[stet] of detailing & analysing the flowers of so many hundreds of glued specimens is fearful. A whole morning often is spent over one flower! -- perhaps to be swept off the microscope plate as impractical. Of some it is impossible to macerate the flowers, even if you can get them off the papers. I shall however stick to them as long as my eyesight allows & my hands continue steady; but I would venture to suggest that all altogether new collections of the species should be made for the Calcutta Herbarium, the specimens
to be laid in drying papers, as gathered, & the individual floral organs be also dried separately. Duthie*2 has had this done and -- purely[?] for some 20 or more Kunnan[?] species, & with these there is no difficulty in describing from more inspection. He is going to have Kersenrin[?] similarly worked[?] this year. I find greater confusion than ever in Wallich’s own Herb[arium]*3 & the distributed numbers bear little relation to the types. If you think it would be of any use to you, & would send me your set of Wallichs I could with very little trouble collate[?] it with the Linn. Coe set for you. Your two Buchanan Hemilton[?] species (which are down[?] under Impatiens) were godsends.
I should never have found out odorate[?] without it. I think it is one of the fine things under Wallichs racemose[?] but his specimen are hardly recognizable. It does not occur in Sikkim] -- It is the only species known to me as having scented flowers. Edgeworth describes a I. maschate[?] as having seeds smelling of Musk! but his plant or typical! Reylei[?] & I suspect the Bhotia walle[?] is memorable[?] for the scent & the seeds are eaten by the Bhotias, who no doubt bagged them & so scented them. I find several more W[est] Himal[ayan] species in Sikkim. Trusting that the Prains & you keep your health & with Lady H’s kindest regards to you both[.]
Ever sincerely yours | Jos.D Hooker [signature]
The month is unclear but appears to be February judging from the other letters in the sequence.
John Firminger Duthie (1845 -- 1922). English botanist and explorer who was Superintendent of Saharanpur Botanical Gardens in Uttar Pradesh, India, from 1875 – 1903.
Nathaniel Wolff Wallich (1786 -- 1854) was a surgeon and botanist of Danish origin who worked in India. Part of Wallich's herbarium collections is held at Kew, known as the Wallich Herbarium which is the largest separate herbarium.
Michael P Edgeworth (1812 – 1888) East India Co. administrator & botanist.
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