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The Joseph Dalton Hooker Collection
The Joseph Dalton Hooker Correspondence Project at Kew is making available online the personal and scientific correspondence of the botanist and explorer Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817–1911), Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens’ Kew from 1865-1885. The project was conceived by staff of The University of Sussex and Kew's Library, Art and Archive department and began as a partnership between Kew and the University of Sussex's Centre for World Environmental History. It has been made possible by support from the Stevenson Family Charitable Trust. Letter summaries can be searched through Ɛpsilon, with links to images and transcriptions at the project site at Kew (https://www.kew.org/explore-our-collections/correspondence-collections/joseph-hooker-collections).
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JDH writes that he is glad to hear of Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer's [WTTD's] appointment to the Dublin chair [of the Royal College of Science for Ireland, Dublin]. Has seen Dr [Edward Percival] Wright who is happy for WTTD to have access to, & make use of, the T[rinity] C[ollege] Herbarium. However, Wright wishes WTTD to wait a little before taking a more prominent position than himself so that 'matters will arrange themselves'. Wright is talking of getting leave for 2 years & going abroad, leaving WTTD in charge. JDH says that the vegetable products museum should be attached to the Botanic Garden, along with a Herbarium & Library, without which the garden will be useless. JDH cannot supply structural specimens of plants from the RBG Kew museum as all duplicates are sent to places which give things in return. Will be happy to give advice about Cape Flora & thinks it is a worthy endeavour to finish it. Notes that WTTD will probably not be ready to embark on the descriptive part of the flora, & therefore need the herbarium, before Wright leaves anyway.
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JDH compliments Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] on his paper on 'Spontaneous Generation & Evolution' & hopes that it is a prelude to further research into the chemistry of vegetation as JDH believes there is no better man to do it. JDH is currently reading John Tyndall's paper 'On the Actions of Rays of High Refrangibility upon Gaseous Matter' in PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON & he is struck by Tyndall's remarks on the decomposition of carbonic acid, by solar rays, in the leaves of plants. JDH says that he had thought about this independently & believes it would make a good research subject. Has heard that Dr P[ercival] Wright it going to Algeria for the winter. JDH hopes that he has left the key to the [Trinity College] Herbarium for them.
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JDH thanks Asa Gray for sending him some apples. He & Mr Smith compare the variety sent, the 'Northern Spy', to English apples including the 'Ribstone Pippen' & the 'Nonsuch'. Discusses his work on the Rubiaceae family including the genera: Psychotria, Cephaelis, Nonateleiae[?], Rudgea ,Palicourea, Chasalia & Grumilea. Next he will work on Borreroids, including Hedyotoids. George Bentham is working on Compositae, currently struggling with Gnaphalia. JDH's wife, Frances Hooker, has finished translating Decaisne & Maout & Hooker himself did some work on the introduction. [John Gilbert] Baker is working on Monocots. [Thomas] Thomson is neglecting his work on the FLORA INDICA & there are problems with the printing & the length. JDH intends to take over editorship & organize it into a shorter manual with the different orders contributed by expert authors. JDH's mother, Lady Maria Hooker, is ill in Torquay but recovering. JDH thanks Gray for Cytinus, Apodanthes, a paper on Galax & his attention to Rubiaceae. JDH must put off his trip to California, he worries he is getting too old but takes comfort that Sir H. Holland just went over the Blue mountains of Jamaica aged over 80. Murchison has Hemiplegia & has resigned himself to death, his likely successor as President of the Geographical Society is Sir H. Rawlinson. Letter appears incomplete & is unsigned but is written in the hand of Joseph Dalton Hooker.
JDH asks if William Thiselton-Dyer would be willing to contribute descriptions of orders, genera & species for a proposed flora of India & outlines the terms of employment.
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JDH writes that he is pleased William Thiselton-Dyer is starting work on the Asclepiadoideae [for FLORA CAPENSIS]. The herbarium of Robert Wight will be at Thiselton-Dyer's disposal. William Henry Harvey is a model of how to approach complex systematic work. JDH approves of Thiselton-Dyer's plan to have an educational museum in the [botany] department [of Royal College of Science for Ireland]. Discusses sending Welwitschia specimens for the museum, 2 live specimens have already been sent from RBG Kew to Glasnevin [National Botanic Gardens, Ireland]. JDH will send Thiselton-Dyer Asclepiad flowers as they bloom at RBG Kew & a copy of Benjamin Delessert's ICONES SELECTAE PLANTARUM QUAS IN SYSTEMATE UNIVERSALI with figures by Joseph Decaisne. JDH adds he has not heard from India House about a flora of India, he is concerned about 'the neuralgia' & would like Salix specimens from Dr Moore for Kew's new 'Salicetum'.