JDH compliments Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] on his paper on 'Spontaneous Generation & Evolution' & hopes that it is a prelude to further research into the chemistry of vegetation as JDH believes there is no better man to do it. JDH is currently reading John Tyndall's paper 'On the Actions of Rays of High Refrangibility upon Gaseous Matter' in PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON & he is struck by Tyndall's remarks on the decomposition of carbonic acid, by solar rays, in the leaves of plants. JDH says that he had thought about this independently & believes it would make a good research subject. Has heard that Dr P[ercival] Wright it going to Algeria for the winter. JDH hopes that he has left the key to the [Trinity College] Herbarium for them.
Transcript
Researches into the chemistry of vegetation, on your own part, which few men are better qualified to start upon.
I am reading (by fits & starts) Tyndall's*3 paper on
ROYAL GARDENS KEW*1
Nov[ember] 12/ [18]70
My dear sir*2
I have just read with great interest, your remarkable paper on Spont[aneou]s Gen[eratio]n & Evol[ution]n *2a which you have been so good as to send me. It is I hope a prelude to
Researches into the chemistry of vegetation, on your own part, which few men are better qualified to start upon.
I am reading (by fits & starts) Tyndall's*3 paper on
the action of rays on refrangible gases (Phil[osophical] Trans[actions] 1870 333)*4 and am struck with his remark p[age] 335 -- that the decomp[ositio]n of carbonic acid by the solar Ray in the leaves of plants -- "may not be the decomposition of a gas" this idea had struck me independently & it would make a fine
subject for research. I hear that Dr. P. Wright*5 is going to Algeria for the winter -- I hope that he will leave the Herbarium key with us.
V[er]y aff[ectionate]ly y[ou[rs | Jos.D.Hooker[signature]
1. Letterhead is also embossed with the Royal Gardens Kew coat of arms.
2. Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (1843--1928). Appointed Assistant Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew under Joseph Hooker in 1875. Succeeded Hooker as Director Nov 1885--1905. Earlier in his career he was a Professor at The Royal Agriculture College Cirencester, Royal College of Science for Ireland in Dublin and the Royal Horticultural Society. Notable published works include editions of the Flora Capensis and the Flora of Tropical Africa. He married Joseph Hooker’s daughter Harriet Anne Hooker in 1877.
2a. Thiselton-Dyer, William Turner (1870). 'On Spontaneous Generation and Evolution' in Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 10 (1870): 333–54.
3. John Tyndall (1820 -- 1893) physicist
4. Tyndall, John (1870) 'On the Action of Rays of High Refrangibility upon Gaseous Matter' Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London, 160, 333 --365
5. Edward Percival Wright (1834 -- 1914). Ophthalmic surgeon, botanist and zoologist. Professor of Botany, Trinity College, Dublin, 1869 -- 1905. Also curator of Trinity College Herbarium.
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