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JDH instructs Asa Gray to keep 'the Berardia of ii.474' & that 'Baillon has prepared Debarara for the other' in BULL[ETIN MENSUEL DE LA]. SOC[IÉTÉ]. LIN[ÉENNE]. PARIS No 35. JDH is worried at his slow progress with THE FLORA OF BRITISH INDIA. He is working on Machilus & Phoebe, he has completed Cinnamomum & reduced it to 23 Indian species. JDH has decided to retire as Director of RBG Kew whilst he is still young enough to enjoy his retirement. He gives some other justifications: JDH has been doing only scientific work whilst William Thiselton-Dyer [WTD], his Assistant Director, deals with the official RBG Kew duties but this cannot continue. The structure of RBG Kew will be reorganised on the departure of the Curator John Smith & JDH & WTD disagree on how it should be done, the Board [of Trustees] will decide. WTD would like JDH to stay on as Director as he does not want the expense of keeping up the Director's house himself. JDH suggests that the Director's house might be turned into an office. Once retired JDH would travel from The Camp, in Sunningdale, to work in the RBG Kew herbarium. His son 'Willy' [William Henslow Hooker] would get a small house in Kew where JDH could sometimes stay. Retirement has financial pros & cons but above all JDH would be free & able to work on publications. His wife Hyacinth Hooker approves his retirement plan. They now prefer living at The Camp where the Symonds will soon join them. JDH's plan to retire is still not public & is shared with Gray in confidence though he would be glad of his opinion in a private letter. In a post script JDH adds that Mrs Rothry has been ill with an ovarian problem.
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JDH describes the grounds of Cragside in Rothbury. He calls it a beautiful 'wilderness' rather than a garden & compares it to the Rhododendron region of the Himalayas & the Alleghenies of South Carolina. The owner Sir William Armstrong plants 650,00 plants a year, prominent species JDH mentons incl: Rhododendrons, Gaultheria, Ramie[?] Callunas, Ericas, Kalmias, Sedum Vaccinium myrtillus, Arbuti, Pernettyas, Polygonum sffine, Berberis & Cornel. Armstrong has offered to exchange plants with RBG Kew. There is a rock garden with [Eucalyptus?] nitens trees caulked by rock plants & a profusion of procumbent Cotoneasters. The gardener reports that the area is untroubled by weeds & JDH saw none. Was surprised by the presence of Cisti [Cistus] in such a cold place. JDH describes Cragside house as 'large & awkward' but admires the collection of paintings & extraordinary marble fire surround created by Richard Norman Shaw, who's work JDH does not generally admire. He criticises Shaw's design of the interior, commenting that is dark; even the [hydro] electric lighting being unable illuminate some areas. The house is isolated, an hour and a half from Morpeth. Describes Lady [Margaret] Armstrong as a cheery old lady who is her own housekeeper. Sir William is an wealthy ex solicitor with no family. John Hancock is at Cragside & JDH visited Newcastle Museum with him, where JDH admired the arrangement of the birds, which were superior to Landseer's & Hecknel's. A soldier Captain Salvin, relative of Osbert Salvin, is also at Cragside & has with him an otter & cormorants trained to fish.
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JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] from [Cragside], Rothbury as he forgot to mention in his last letter, the presence of ferns along with Gaultheria, Heathers & Rhododendrons in the grounds there. Inglis Palgrave has advised JDH that he can afford to retire. JDH goes on to list his reasons for wanting to retire & his reservations about leaving RBG Kew. There should be someone competent in place to assume WTTD's position as Assistant Director when he is elevated to Director. Compliments the competency of WTTD in all areas of RBG Kew's work. Already he does things beyond JDH's understanding e.g. with the [Jodrell] laboratory. Currently JDH worries what would happen to RBG Kew if one of them fell ill, his own strength is failing & he is going deaf. His own retirement is not necessarily an opportunity to get rid of Curator John Smith but would be a good lever to induce the Board to make necessary changes. JDH discusses changes to be made in the Arboretum by WTTD with the help of a good bailiff, William Truelove, & George Nicholson & JDH would help even after retirement if needed. Also mentions planting rare trees & a 'formation' by the lake. He mentions the journey from his home 'The Camp'. Overall JDH thinks it wise to offer his retirement. He insists that WTTD should stay on at RBG Kew, where his work has earned him many plaudits from Government. JDH understands WTTD's nervousness about the change & had intended to work until he was 70 but is glad he can afford to retire now. Comments on WTTD's departmental reorganisation mentioning Truelove & Binden. JDH hopes that the Government might give him a consultant position as they did with Huxley, which would allow him to continue work on his 'beloved' FLORA INDICA & spend more time on the ICONES PLANTARUM & BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. JDH has 'worked in or for Kew for near 45 years, as a Collector, Describer & Director'. The Bentham bequest & necessary supervision of the herbarium will need to be discussed.
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JDH informs Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer that he must stay at the Hodgson's until the following Monday. JDH may need to send him a cheque to sign during the extended absence. JDH finds that [Brian Houghton] Hodgson has changed, his memory is poor and he has a cough & bad knee, he may go to Mentone for his health in the winter. The train journey brought back JDH's ear ache but it has passed again.
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JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer about his plans to meet with Algernon Freeman-Mitford, Secretary to the Office of Works, on returning to RBG Kew. JDH wishes to discuss with Mitford where to put more offices, potentially the Directors' House or Kew Palace. JDH writes of the decline of John Smith's health & control as Curator of RBG Kew. Smith has promised JDH that all the mould from the [glass] houses will go to the arboretum, & first to the starving horse chestnuts. JDH will be glad to return to Kew, though his hosts at Alderley Grange, the Hodgsons, are very kind.