Nov[ember] 15 [1909]*1
THE CAMP, NEAR SUNNINGDALE
My dear Stapf*2,
We were very sorry but not at all surprised or "put out" by your & Mrs. Stapf's non appearance on Sunday.
With regard to Meebold's*3 Balsams I have had none whatever but the set laid out for Kew at the Calcutta Bot Garden. The dispatch of them by himself was announced in a letter from himself dated Calcutta [Kolkata] 9.3.09. They reached my home 5.4.09 & were immediately acknowledged. On examination of them I found considerable

confusion in numbering & habitats & with a view both to clearing this up & being able to describe several species of which the specimens sent to me were imperfect, I suggested that he should send to me on loan his whole collection of Indian Impatiens.
In answer he says (dated Rome 23.6.09) he "as to to numbers which you have never seen, I must have made a muddle of some kind. I cannot clear it up before having seen my material next autumn. It will then all be sent to you as you kindly allow me to do so."
This is how matters stand. As to the

two species which Drummond*4 told you that "I (JDH) recently had"-- I have never received them or heard of them.
I may add that in the collection sent to me 5.4.09 there were 8 species of which he asked me to return, of some the whole of others partly. These I returned 23.4.09.
Thanks for your suggestion that I should write to Prof. Pax*5, which I shall follow if I do not hear from Meebold himself.
Most sincerely yours | Jos. D Hooker [signature]