Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
JHC1502
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom
MUN/1/123
Munro, General William
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
27/03/1852
© The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Letters to General William Munro
The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
English
Original MS
4 page letter over 1 folio
 
Transcript

at last rapidly increasing knowledge of my own Indian collections. I extremely doubt 1/10th proving new, perhaps not 1/14 -- at the same time I am extremely glad of it; it shows how very complete our materials are for a Flora Indica, & I have no wish at all to stand godfather to any but very decidedly new species.
Pray do not think of coming out to Kew next week, except you

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Kew
March 27/[18]52
My dear Munro*1
The bundle of [1 word illeg.] grasses goes this morning. You must have indeed been working hard to have got through so many. I am equally astonished at the number of Paniceae & at the paucity of new species, I certainly expected a very small proportion of the latter, but not quite so small. It quite tallies however with my

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at last rapidly increasing knowledge of my own Indian collections. I extremely doubt 1/10th proving new, perhaps not 1/14 -- at the same time I am extremely glad of it; it shows how very complete our materials are for a Flora Indica, & I have no wish at all to stand godfather to any but very decidedly new species.
Pray do not think of coming out to Kew next week, except you

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can turn your visit to profit. I should quite dislike seeing you for form's sake, knowing how much you have to do, say & see in London, & quite believing that you it would only aggravate your sufferings to be so near the Hay stacks here & not get a nibble. I have no engagements next month except for a week after the 16th, so do pray come if you come for a week.
What you tell me of M Stendal is quite lamentable

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the positive mischief these men do science is incalculable. De Vriese has just made 60 species out of one Angiopteris, his characters taken from micrometric measurements of the length & breadth of the pinicles[?] to 1/100 inch.! one does not know whether to recommend a rattle, a strait--waistcoat or horse--pond for such people.
I assure you that Mrs Hooker thought your visit anything but dull, & will be extremely glad to see you back: she send best regards.
Ever sinc[erel]y y[our]s | Jos D Hooker [signature]

ENDNOTES


1. General William Munro

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