JDH informs Asa Gray that he is very busy & feeling the weight of his responsibilities. Hs main concern is [his daughter] Harriet Hooker's health. She will be sent to the South of France, probably to stay with friends in Cannes, later JDH will join her & they will travel to Algiers to visit Colonel Playfair. JDH & Playfair will make a tour of Algiers from April to May [1875]. JDH's Aunt, Mrs Dawson Turner of Liverpool, will keep the house whilst JDH is away. Her children have been guests of JDH as they have no house, their father Dawson William Turner is in confinement but will soon be out & JDH hopes to send him on a long voyage 'to secure his health'. JDH has found that Elliottia is synonymous with Tripetaleia of Japan. He continues to work on GENERA PLANTARUM, currently struggling with Sapotaceae. Mentions that Miguel has made omissions of [Richard] Spruce & [George] Gardner in the FLORA BRASILIENSIS. Asks Gray for specimens of Shortia, he has kept it distinct from Schizocodon following [Carl Johann ] Maximovicz, whose work he admires. By contrast he does not like the way Baillon works.
Transcript
the Flora Brasiliensis [word crossed out, illeg.] & has not half Spruces.
I suppose that you cannot send us good specimens of Shortia. I keep Schizocodon distinct following Maximovicz *3, of whose work the more I see of it the more I admire it. Of [Henri Ernest] Baillon's I can say the exact reverse. The way he cribs the Gen[era]. Plant[arum]. matter & manipulates it according to his prepossessions & fancies is simply grotesque -- & yet he adds clever observations here & there, but nothing complete.
For a wonder I do not owe you a letter.
Y[ou]rs ever aff[ectionate]ly J D Hooker [signature]
Kew
Fe[bruar]y 16/[18]75
Dear old [Asa] Gray
I have really not much to say but it is long since I have written to you & I long to hear from you-- I am more busy than ever, & it is well that I should be so, as my responsibility seems to close in on me on every side. My chief anxiety is now Harriet's health -- which is not good, & I am advised to send her to the S[outh] of France for the East wind months--& shall seek an Escort for her next month; She suffers from some derangements of the Tl canal which causes freqent frequent
gripings & this deranges the general health. I expect to get my aunt Mrs D Turner *1 (of Liverpool) to keep home for me: her son & daughter have both been my guests for some time, the latter as companion for Harriet. They have no house. Poor Turner himself is in confinement, but will probably be out soon (he twice tried his life) & when he comes out we shall I hope send him on [a] long voyage to secure his health. This is sad tale altogether. I have always felt greatly attached to my Aunt & cousins & shall be glad to have them here.
I have long promised to take
Harriet to Algiers in April on a visit to Col[onel] Playfair, whose wife will take care of her if she cannot travel, whilst the Col[onel] & I will take a tour. This will be from 15th April to 27th May; the actual limits of the holiday I can then take. If all goes as hoped I shall pick Harriet up on my way, at Marseilles, probably. She will probably spend the previous month with friends at Cannes.
I have just made out that Elliottia is synonymous with Tripetaleia of Japan: so you see I am still poking away at Gen[era]. Plant[arum]. I am at Sapotaceae a hideous crew. The wretch Miguel has omitted nearly all Gardener's[sic] *2 Lauraceas[?] in
the Flora Brasiliensis [word crossed out, illeg.] & has not half Spruces.
I suppose that you cannot send us good specimens of Shortia. I keep Schizocodon distinct following Maximovicz *3, of whose work the more I see of it the more I admire it. Of [Henri Ernest] Baillon's I can say the exact reverse. The way he cribs the Gen[era]. Plant[arum]. matter & manipulates it according to his prepossessions & fancies is simply grotesque -- & yet he adds clever observations here & there, but nothing complete.
For a wonder I do not owe you a letter.
Y[ou]rs ever aff[ectionate]ly J D Hooker [signature]
1. Wife of Dawson William Turner (1815 -- 1885), Hooker's maternal uncle.
2. George Gardner (?1809 -- 1849), botanist.
3. Carl Johann Maximovicz/h (1827 -- 1891), botanist.
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