Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC474
The Camp, Sunningdale, Berkshire, United Kingdom
JDH/2/16 f.117
Thiselton-Dyer, Sir William Turner
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
4-6-1889
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Letters to Thiselton-Dyer
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
4 page letter over 1 folio
 

JDH thanks Sir William Turner-Thiselton [WTTD] for finding time to look over the proofs of the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. After 30 years as editor & 10 years prior to that helping his father with it JDH can be careless. His mind is currently focused on orchids. JDH will try to arrange with the publisher of the magazine, Reeves, to send the lithographs a month in advance so they can be reviewed properly. He notes that errors have also appeared in the BULLETIN. JDH did not think [James Edward Tierney] Aitchison's drawing of Gastrodia was worth publishing but Aitchison did accompany it with an explanation & an anatomist should look at his specimens preserved in spirits. JDH hopes WTTD & Harriet Thiselton-Dyer (nee Hooker) will enjoy their time in Switzerland. An annotation signed D.O. [Daniel Oliver] has been added to the letter stating first that Ed[?] Brown [Nicholas Edward Brown?] would look at the specimens of Gastrodia & later adding that he has examined them himself & found no evidence that they are parasitic themselves, but one of the pseudobulbs was infected by a rhizomorphoid growth, which needs to be investigated.

Transcript

other species: but curiously enough, one of the pseudobulbs is externally infected by a ramifying root -- or rhizomorphoid -- growth which must be examined further. --
D[aniel]. O[liver]

Page 1


ROYAL GARDENS KEW
June 4 [18]/89
My dear Dyer*1
I shall be indeed thankful if you really found time to look over the proofs of Bot[anical]. Mag[azine]. After 30 years of that monthly grind -- I may say 40, for I often took a principal part in it during my father's life-time -- I get often careless, & color blind to faults in converting the press & my mind is now so engrossed with Orchids, that I am apt to treat other matters cavalierly.
If I can I shall arrange with Reeves*2 to keep a month ahead regularly -- [1 word crossed out, illeg.] for he runs me so closely with the proofs drawings lithographs that careful revision is often impossible. -- I

Page 2

think I find little blunders of the same kind in the Bulletin. this is not meant for a, tre quoqui[sic?], but it shows how difficult it is to steer clear of inadvertencies & misprints.
Mr Aitchison[']s*3 drawing of the Gastrodia was not worth reproduction, except indeed he accompanied it with an explanation of his own. I know nothing of did not examine the his specimens in spirits, some Anatomist should tackle them.
Hoping you and Harriet will have a good time in Switzerland & with love to her
E[ve]r aff[ectionatel]y y[ou]rs | Jos. D. Hooker[signature]

Page 3

*4Ed Brown will look to this when he takes the spec[imens]s in hand -- i.e. with regard to 'parasitism'.
D[aniel]. O[liver]
I have looked to this myself. The specimens in fluid, at least in their present state, afford no evidence whatever as to parasitism upon

Page 4

other species: but curiously enough, one of the pseudobulbs is externally infected by a ramifying root -- or rhizomorphoid -- growth which must be examined further. --
D[aniel]. O[liver]

ENDNOTES


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. Lovell Reeve Publishing Company. Augustus Lovell Reeve (1814--1865), founder of the Lovell Reeve Publishing Company. In 1845 the Botanical Magazine was launched by William Hooker and Reeve later acquired it. When Lovell Reeve died, the management of the firm passed on to his partner, Francis Lesiter Soper and the editorship of the Botanical Magazine was passed to Joseph Hooker.
3. James Edward Tierney Aitchison (1836--1898). Scottish surgeon and botanist. Entered the Bengal Medical service and collected plants throughout India and Afghanistan.
4. The wording from here to the end of the letter is written in a different hand and signed D. O. by Daniel Oliver (1830--1916), a Kew Botanist. In 1858 Oliver 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.

Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study electronic image(s) of this document where possible.

Powered by Aetopia