JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton--Dyer [WTTD] about a recent stay with General Birch at Stranraer in the company of the Whites[?] & the Hamiltons. He also visited Lord Stair's Pinetum, run by a Mr Fowler, he particularly admired the white Douglas fir & some Pinus nobilis grown from grafts. He observed that Scotch Fir & Spruce won't grow there. He complains about the late train home from Galloway & the loss of their luggage en route to Wilesden via Carlisle. [John] Smith has gone to Cornwall. [Algernon Freeman-] Mitford is coming to stay with JDH at Kew, JDH likes Mitford so far. Russell, the RBG Kew 'orchid man', wants to leave in order to work on orchid greowing on a larger scale. JDH asks WTTD to consult Moore about a replacement at salary of 25 to 28 shillings plus room. JDH complains about the time he has to take correcting Lawson's reviews. JDH has received a proof corrected by WTTD with a passage about pitchers of Nepenthes marked as illegible, JDH does not know where it came from but has corrected it & sent it to the Academy. JDH complains about misprints in some 'copies' sent to Belfast for printing. JDH expects WTTD to see Harvey's Ericeae for Flora of South Africa whilst in Dublin. He apologises that he cannot send back Barkley's[?] bottles as promised. Reports that [Daniel] Oliver has returned from France & [John Gilber] Baker is away. JDH is preparing for some disageeable work with the Trustees of the British Museum regarding the Admiralty [probably in connection with a dispute over the collections from the HMS 'Challenger' expedition]. JDH intends to lay the case before Sir Philip Egerton privately. JDH asks WTTD to return an enclosed letter from Charles Darwin [enclosure not present].
Transcript
to go in for Orchid growing on a large scale. Please ask Moore*6 if he knows of a tidy fellow who would come for / 25/[shillings] & rooms -- we could make it 28/[shillings]. if he answered.
Lawson's 2 Reviews have come back, one is charged 40/[shillings] for corrections & really the new matter is little better than the old. I am in despair. I spent 11 hours uninterruptedly over the 2 reviews -- & the sheets cost one more. I cannot understand it. They must now go for Second Review.
A proof of (slip) of carnivorous plants has just come for correction of a passage about pitchers of Nepenthes, with observation
ROYAL GARDENS KEW
Sept[ember]. 2 / [18]74.
Dear Dyer*1
Thanks for your letter, & notices of scenery which always interest me much. I fear that you have had atrocious weather. We staid[sic] 2 days with General Birch at Stranraer (with Sir W & Lady White[?] & Mr & Mrs Hamilton), & on Thursday I went to Lord Stair[']s*2 Pinetum, which is splendid in many ways, & I found Mr Fowler*3 a very intelligent man. The white Douglas fir is I
think a good thing, for the white leaves turn quite green in autumn! -- & it seemed to me analogous to the Golden Yew, & if so will I hope prove a permanent affair. He had heaps of thriving young plants (grafts of course) -- P[inus]. nobilis was very fine -- 15--16f[oo]t high though all grafts! Scotch Fir & Spruce won't grow! --
I got a tremendous ducking & had to get a rig from Lord Stair before I could sit down to Luncheon[.]
Galloway is a dreary county. Returning the train was 1½ hours after time, & of course our luggage was not forthcoming at Willesden, though I saw it ticketed at Stranraer & changed at Carlisle! -- They sent it afterwards from Euston.
[John] Smith*4 left yesterday for Cornwall.
Mr Mitford*5 comes to spend Saturday here. I like what I have seen of him.
Russell our the Orchid man wants to "better himself" & is looking out for another place. He has no fault to find & likes his place here very much; but wants
to go in for Orchid growing on a large scale. Please ask Moore*6 if he knows of a tidy fellow who would come for / 25/[shillings] & rooms -- we could make it 28/[shillings]. if he answered.
Lawson's 2 Reviews have come back, one is charged 40/[shillings] for corrections & really the new matter is little better than the old. I am in despair. I spent 11 hours uninterruptedly over the 2 reviews -- & the sheets cost one more. I cannot understand it. They must now go for Second Review.
A proof of (slip) of carnivorous plants has just come for correction of a passage about pitchers of Nepenthes, with observation
that you say "it is unintelligable[sic]" -- [word crossed out, illeg.] So it is -- but I do not know where the slip comes from! I have corrected it & sent it to Academy on chance -- it is full of bad misprints of its own.
I am disgusted with the misprints in the copies printed at Belfast but mistakke[sic?] was my own fault. I saw it in proof, suspected it, but did not dare alter it.
Ball has sent me a critique, but he does not understand the subject. Happily this is not the copy for the Association Report & seeing how hurriedly the thing was knocked off (as far as I was concerned) I only wonder that there were not lots more blunders.
When in Dublin you will I suppose see about Harvey's Ericeae &c for Flora of S[outh]. Africa. I am sorry that I can't send back the bottles to Barkley[?], which I promised to do.
Oliver*7 is back, & has enjoyed his tour in France. Baker*8 is away. I am preparing for my most disagreeable work with the Trustees of [the] Brit[ish]. Mus[eum]. The more I regard look into the letters addressed to the Admiralty, the more clearly I see that their [word crossed out, illeg.] aim was
to [word crossed out, illeg.] compromise my position as a Trustee with the other Trustees -- I am writing to Sir P[hilip]. Egerton*9, laying the case before him privately, as a preliminary step.*10
Please return Darwin's*11 letter enclosed.
Ever [word illeg.] y[our]s | Jos[eph] D Hooker[signature]
1. Thiselton-Dyer, Sir William Turner (1843--1928). British botanist and third Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1885--1905). He succeeded Joseph Hooker in the role after serving as his Assistant Director for ten years. Previously held professorships at the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester, Royal College of Science for Ireland and Royal Horticultural Society. Married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. John Hamilton Dalrymple, 10th Earl of Stair (1819--1903).
3. Archibald Fowler (1816--1887). Gardener to Earl of Stair.
4. John Smith (1821--1888). Curator or 'head gardener' of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew from 1864--1886. His predecessor as Curator was also named John Smith.
5. Algernon Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale (1837--1916). British diplomat and writer. Secretary to the Office of Works from 1874--1886. The Office of Works was the Government body that oversaw the running of RBG Kew & during his tenure as secretary Mitford supported Joseph Hooker's improvement plans.
6. Possibly Thomas Moore (1821--1887). British gardener & botanist.
7. Daniel Oliver (1830--1916). British botanist, Keeper of the Herbarium at RBG Kew.
8. Baker, John Gilbert (1834--1920). British botanist, Keeper of the Herbarium at RBG Kew.
9. Sir Philip de Malpas Grey Egerton (1806--1881). Palaeontologist & politician.
10. Probably refers to a dispute over the ownership of the collections from the HMS 'Challenger' expedition.
11. Charles Darwin (1809--1882). Naturalist.
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