JDH informs William Thiselton-Dyer [WTD] that he has sent his wife[?] & books by train to him at Betws-y-coed. JDH discusses the controversy surrounding the RBG Kew boundary wall, Mitford [First Commissioner of Works] supports JDH but Engleheart, the Selwyn's & Stock & Co object. JDH has complained about the substandard materials Carless provided for painting[?] the Palm House & recommended that his contract be terminated. He is frustrated that Wilkie did nothing to stop Carless & it fell to Smith to 'shut the gates' on him. Discusses the poor heating system in the herbarium. Gregory is keen to employ [Daniel] Morris at Ceylon [Peradeniya Botanic Garden] in place of [Marcus Manuel] Hartog. JDH has prepared 3 months of the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE & will ask [Daniel] Oliver to look after it from here on.
Transcript
Royal Gardens Kew
June 26/[18]77
My dear Dyer*1
I must answer your notes however briefly, if only to say how gratified I am at having received them.
I sent your wife[?] & books by passenger train yesterday to Betws-y-coed. -- & have no news of any consequence about the Gardens. Except that I found had (between ourselves) signs of yielding on the part of the Board in the matter of the Wall*2. I have sent two most vigorous remonstrances & have held out the prospect
Royal Gardens Kew
June 26/[18]77
My dear Dyer*1
I must answer your notes however briefly, if only to say how gratified I am at having received them.
I sent your wife[?] & books by passenger train yesterday to Betws-y-coed. -- & have no news of any consequence about the Gardens. Except that I found had (between ourselves) signs of yielding on the part of the Board in the matter of the Wall*2. I have sent two most vigorous remonstrances & have held out the prospect
of the counter--cries of "Jobbery" & "Kew in danger" -- together with a deputation of the Horticultural interest on our side. Mitford*3 has promised to be firm, & will be so I do not doubt. but the opposition of Engleheart*4 & the Selwyn people*5 & Stock & Co is furious. If danger threatens I must leave it to you & [John] Smith*6 to go move the Gardening papers & Horticultural interest in our favor[sic].
I have written complaining of the atrocious stuff stuff that Carless
has sent for painting[?] the P[alm]. H[ouse]. & have told Mitford & Lasseles[?] that Carless['] contract should be broken up.
The hot water pipes in the Herb[ariu]m leak so that I forget how many buckets full of water were wanted this morning. to fill them up, 30 I think. You will have I fear much trouble with this matter. I am quite sure that Simpsons are not the right people for hot water, & Smith gets worn out with bother & inclined to accept anything. We must keep him sharp up to his back-stiffening. Wilkie is hopeless, he continued
to let Carless bring in his bad stuff till Smith shut the gates in the faces of the carts.
Gregory has just left; he is quite disposed to take Morris*7 & I am to write him a letter for him to take to C[olonial].O[ffice]. about him. He will write to Ceylon [Sri Lanka] to treat Hartog*8 liberally & send him home with enough to pay his debts. Morris is quite set upon going. & will I think quite suit.
I have nearly done 3 months Bot[anical]. Mag[azine] & will ask Oliver*9 to look after it -- as heretofore.
Ever affe[ctiona]tely y[our]s | Jos. D. Hooker[signature]
1. Sir William Turner Thiselton--Dyer (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. He previously held professorships at the Royal Agricultural College Cirencester, Royal College of Science for Ireland and Royal Horticultural Society. He married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. Refers to the Gardens' high boundary wall on the Kew Road. Three feet were added to the height of the wall in summer 1877 to the objection of local residents. It was one of the issues that led to the formation of the Kew Garden's Public Rights Defence Association.
3. 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.
4. George Engelbert. A local property developer with an interest in protecting the value of his holdings. In 1868 he paid for a new gated entrance to the Gardens, Cumberland Gate was placed chiefly to serve residents of an estate he built on Kew Gardens Road.
5. William Selwyn leased 20 acres of land to RBG Kew around the location of the Pagoda until 1819. In 1822 the land was surrendered permanently to the Crown in exchange for land on the other side of Kew Road.
6. 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.
7. Daniel Morris (1844--1933).Botanist. Assistant at the Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka 1877--1879 where he studied coffee diseases. Director of Public Gardens, Jamaica 1879--1886. Assistant Director Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1886--1898. Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, West indies 1898--1908.
8. Marcus Manuel Hartog (1851--1924). Botanist. Assistant Director Peradeniya Botanic Gardens, Sri Lanka from 1874--1877. Natural History Demonstrator, Owen's College, Manchester from1879--1882. Professor of Natural History University College Cork from 1882--1921.
9. Daniel Oliver (1830--1916). Botanist. In 1858 he was invited to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to classify and elaborate the herbarium and library, working for a pittance he supplemented his income by becoming Professor of Botany at University College, London, (1861--1888). Official Librarian of the herbarium at Kew from 1860--1890 and keeper of the herbarium from 1864--1890.
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