Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC1022
The Camp, Sunningdale, Berkshire, United Kingdom
JDH/2/7 f.23-23a
Hooker, Joseph Symonds
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
11-6-1891
© Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Letters to his son 'Little Lion'
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Typescript copy
2 page letter over 2 folios
 
Transcript


The Camp Sunningdale July 11 / [18]91
My dear Cub, I have I think two letters to thank you for, but I have been so busy of late that I have put off the answering of your's & others. The Ants are I fear not going on satisfactorily. I have moistened the earth for them & they have plenty to eat, but every time I go I find fewer of them, & I think more in the water. This morning I find only the big one & a few others. I suppose that the nest is too small, & they wander about on the board, & being weak, topple into the water. Reggie is at home for a week, he is a candidate for the post of Assistant Secretary of the Statistical Society in London. Perhaps you do not know what Statistics are, it is the application of numbers that is Arithmetic to such questions as populations, kinds etc of diseases, births, deaths, marriages, & products imported & exported, ins & from countries. It looks a very dry subject, but when you come to deal with it & to compare the statistics of our country or time with another country or time it is very interesting. The Society has apartments in London, facing the Thames, near Hungerford Bridge, & has an immense library of which an Assistant Secretary has charge, Also he keeps all the accounts, looks after the Clerks, collects the subscriptions of the Members, & issues all notices of meetings of the Society, etc,etc,etc, in fact he is a very busy man.

Page 1


The Camp Sunningdale July 11 / [18]91
My dear Cub, I have I think two letters to thank you for, but I have been so busy of late that I have put off the answering of your's & others. The Ants are I fear not going on satisfactorily. I have moistened the earth for them & they have plenty to eat, but every time I go I find fewer of them, & I think more in the water. This morning I find only the big one & a few others. I suppose that the nest is too small, & they wander about on the board, & being weak, topple into the water. Reggie is at home for a week, he is a candidate for the post of Assistant Secretary of the Statistical Society in London. Perhaps you do not know what Statistics are, it is the application of numbers that is Arithmetic to such questions as populations, kinds etc of diseases, births, deaths, marriages, & products imported & exported, ins & from countries. It looks a very dry subject, but when you come to deal with it & to compare the statistics of our country or time with another country or time it is very interesting. The Society has apartments in London, facing the Thames, near Hungerford Bridge, & has an immense library of which an Assistant Secretary has charge, Also he keeps all the accounts, looks after the Clerks, collects the subscriptions of the Members, & issues all notices of meetings of the Society, etc,etc,etc, in fact he is a very busy man.

Page 2

Beau is back, & so happy to see us all; but looks in vain for you. Love to Hugh, I am glad he is better. Ever your affectionate Old Lion.
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