Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC406
Craigflower, Torryburn, Dunfermline, [Scotland, United Kingdom]
JDH/2/16 f.52
Thiselton-Dyer, Sir William Turner
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
16-8-1879
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Letters to Thiselton-Dyer
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
8 page letter over 2 folios
 
Transcript

their age & that one is an infant speaks volumes for their physique & functions!
I have made the best of my impromptu in the matter of Ball’s lecture -- it is bad at best; but having been told, when I offered to speak for your lecture that it was not the custom in the case of the lectures, I could not anticipate being called upon for Ball’s. Bates never sent me the proof before. Ball had told me to expect it, but it never came.
I was not sorry to have the opportunity of telling Callender the

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Craigflower
Aug[ust] 16/ [1879] Dear Dyer*1
Thanks for your letter of 15th which [I] received at 11 am today, but as the post leaves at noon & I was out, I would not answer it till too late for today[']s bag. We had a splendid journey north, neither too hot nor too cold, & no dust to speak of -- the 2nd class as comfortable as the first & the children behaving admirably. We got out at York & as we stopped no where[sic] else between 8 1/4 am when they left, & 10 pm when they arrived here, this considering

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their age & that one is an infant speaks volumes for their physique & functions!
I have made the best of my impromptu in the matter of Ball’s lecture -- it is bad at best; but having been told, when I offered to speak for your lecture that it was not the custom in the case of the lectures, I could not anticipate being called upon for Ball’s. Bates never sent me the proof before. Ball had told me to expect it, but it never came.
I was not sorry to have the opportunity of telling Callender the

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real state of matters. It is fully two years ago since the yellow masses of dry-rot was spread over some yards of the Fern house rafters, & someone then poked his stick into it. I had some difficulty in getting Smith to get it scraped off -- it being so conspicuous.
I wish I could have helped more in the matter of Willkie & Taylor, but that matter is ostensibly in my own hands, Mitford having assured me, that when I should send in my plan & Smith's suggestions, he would go to the Treasury about it.
Thanks for your solicitude about the Ind[ian] flora. I have written to Reeve about it*2 , but I have no idea that he will publish the index except as part of no vii. He was doggedly obstinate about not

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publishing it with p[ar]t vi & appealed to the conditions of publication, which was too bad & though for it promised that I would put the matter straight with the I[ndia] O[ffice].
I enclose a note from Miss North; of course I shall ask her to make definite arrangements with Mr Ferguson, & I shall come up & meet them. I must however write first to Mr Noel -- that is to say if I do not get previously from him an answer approving my taking further steps. Meanwhile I shall send him unofficially a copy of what in this last letter of Miss North's refers to the matter. It is so important to strike when the iron is hot, & the matter site, size etc will take so much more consideration than she imagines, that it cannot should at once come under consideration. I am now writing to her, informing her

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that subject to Boards' approval I shall meet her & Mr. Ferguson between the 28th and the 7th.
If you have an opportunity perhaps you will keep the matter of a site in mind. I cannot at present think of a better than that you suggest, except possibly at the back of the Temp[erate] House parallel to & facing it beyond the walk (straight) & beeches with its back to the stables, & not far from them where There should have been an avenue leading from the T[emperate]. H[ouse]. west door right away across where the stable &c now are into immensity but that is now impossible & a good building is the next best thing. I do not well recollect the state of the trees there -- but fear that when they go the stables &c will form an ugly feature. Whereas such a colonnade as Miss North's

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talks of would form a splendid object from the T[emperate] House.
Aug[ust] 18th . There has been no post from this since I wrote the above. Today (Monday) I have yours of 16th to thank you for.
Thank you for writing to the Chairman of the C. of C. explaining all to him -- it could not be better done. Also for Charlie's address, most opportune as Colvile wants to invite him here. Most unfortunately Charlie takes only to such people as flatter & spoil him. Poor Cleghorn's belief in my grandfather's progeny is quite touching! --

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In the act of writing these words, an invitation comes from Dr Paterson[?] to us both, to go & stay with him. This we shall not do, & I must be politick in answering. He makes no allusion whatever to Charlie or his dau[ghte]r.
Yes, we should want no more authority to commence the removing of the E[ast]. I[ndia]. things. The Board knows they are given, & has not countermanded their receipt. I see no beef for it, but fear the propertie public will growl at the closing museum of woods.
I have not yet resolved on the best way of ticketing the E[ast]. I[ndia]. articles, which we shall keep -- whether it may not be adviseable[sic] to put on the blue tickets "Mues. Ind. Co." or some

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definite information reference to the old establishment as we have done with the Exhibition woods. We may perhaps be guided a little by what the other "absorption spectra" do.
The weather here is wretched but the air is delightful -- We are quite quiet: no one here at all.
With best love to Harriet
Ever y[ou]r affect[tionate] | JDHooker[signature]

ENDNOTES


1. Sir William 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 also married Hooker's eldest daughter Harriet in 1877.
2. Insertion reads 'P.S. Reeves has done it'. Insertion written in the left hand margin with an 'x' used to denote the order in which the sentence is to be read within the body of the text.
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