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JDH explains why he considers Dr [James William Helenus] Trail a suitable candidate for fellowship of the Royal Society. It was JDH who recommended that Trail go on the expedition up the Amazon 12 years previously & Trail made the most of the opportunity for scientific purposes making excellent collections & observations, especially papers on the palms of the Amazon published in [Henry] Trimen's journal of botany in 1876 & work on Amazon ant-housing plants. He has also published further papers, catalogued in the Royal Society Compilations & is producing more. Trail is also a productive teacher of biological science & his students have often proved excellent members of expeditions. JDH intends to add his signature to Trail's paper of qualifications.
JDH writes to Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] giving his opinion of various publications by Alphonse de Candolle. JDH does not intend to write a notice of 'Alphonse de Candolle's [recent] work', as he has a very low opinion of it. JDH criticise de Candolle's descriptions & his systematic work. JDH lists those he considers superior contemporary systematists; Pourret, Saint-Hilaire, von Martius, Bentham, Endlicher, Gray & Engelmann. JDH has a higher opinion of de Candolle's geographical botany. He reviewed his GÉOGRAPHIE BOTANIQUE in the JOURNAL OF BOTANY, concluding that it was full of useful data but lacked philosophical views & was tainted by a belief in multiple creation of species & scepticism towards evolution, though this was before the 'Darwinian Epoch'. Darwin in fact had a high opinion of the work, & [Asa] Gray a modest one. JDH considers THE ORIGINE DES PLANTES CULTIVÉES an excellent book but not comprehensive, e.g. it does not address the cultivation of Amorphophallus campanulatus or Tacca, which is cultivated from Tahiti to Malaya. JDH calls THE HISTOIRE DES SCIENCES ET DES SAVANTS 'very good & instructive' & thinks its highlight's de Candolle's forte, which is as a statistician. He has not read de Candolle's biography of his father [Augustin Pyrame de Candolle] or his methodology of descriptive botany & was unimpressed by his INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY. He summarises that it is impossible to consider the work of de Candolle without appearing to deprecate him though his wealth & leisure have allowed him time to contribute much to botany. JDH suggests that [William Botting] Hemsley take on LOIS DE LA NOMENCLATURE BOTANIQUE. JDH mentions some Tibetan plants of interest & 'securing' George Massee. JDH is working on Indian Eriocaulons, which he thinks is the most minute flowers genus of Phenogams, & grasses. JDH thanks WTTD for some Rhododendrons. Balfour has sent JDH a list of New Zealand Veronicas which they have at Edinburgh [Botanic Garden].
JDH critiques the work of Alphonse de Candolle. His MONOGRAPHIAE PHANEROGAMARUM does not accord with JDH's revision of the Phanerogams. JDH recognises that he has worked hard at botany, though he is wealthy enough not to have needed to. However, he finds that de Candolle's treatment of plant distribution GÉOGRAPHIE BOTANIQUE RAISONNÉE shows a lack of deep understanding of the subject & is more a collection of useful data than an attempt to reach any conclusions. JDH asks if Alphonse de Candolle is dead. JDH has had no answer to his letter to Carriere[?]. [George] Bentham has completed work on the Australian Enocaulaceae & JDH is reviewing them to determine which ones are Indian species. JDH suggests that de Candolle's systematic work does not compare favourable with those of Asa Gray, Antoine Jusseau & George Bentham but if de Candolle is dead them JDH will take on de Candolle's systematic work.
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JDH critiques the work of Alphonse de Candolle. His MONOGRAPHIAE PHANEROGAMARUM does not accord with JDH's revision of the Phanerogams. JDH recognises that he has worked hard at botany, though he is wealthy enough not to have needed to. However, he finds that de Candolle's treatment of plant distribution GÉOGRAPHIE BOTANIQUE RAISONNÉE shows a lack of deep understanding of the subject & is more a collection of useful data than an attempt to reach any conclusions. JDH asks if Alphonse de Candolle is dead. JDH has had no answer to his letter to Carriere[?]. [George] Bentham has completed work on the Australian Enocaulaceae & JDH is reviewing them to determine which ones are Indian species. JDH suggests that de Candolle's systematic work does not compare favourable with those of Asa Gray, Antoine Jusseau & George Bentham but if de Candolle is dead them JDH will take on de Candolle's systematic work.
In response to a 'hint' from Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer JDH discusses the merits of discontinuing the English description of species in the BOTAICAL MAGAZINE. He points out that whilst the Latin description are often cited, e.g in [Arthur Gerhard] Walpers' works, the English are not. The 'yarns' about the species attract interest but are labour intensive & those who do not include them such as [John Gilbert] Baker complete the descriptions much faster than JDH. JDH mentions he has written to [George] King. Also that he is enclosing a letter from [Isaac Bayley] Balfour [letter not present] to whom he wrote about the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. In a post script JDH adds that he can no longer expect [Daniel] Morris to contribute the previously offered excursus on Erythroxylum coca for the BOTANICAL MAGAZINE & asks if there is any more recent information on it than in the Jan 1889 [KEW] BULLETIN.
JDH asks Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer [WTTD] to sign & forward a letter to Sir Henry Coleltt at 21 Cranley Gardens, London. JDH gives his opinion on Luthe's[?] book, he does not like its tone & thinks the facts need checking but found some of the matter illuminating on the subject of the early church. JDH is sure there would have been much more information on the subject in the library at Alexandria. JDH advises WTTD that [David] Prain may not be suitable replacement for [Daniel] Morris as he might not be able to tolerate the English weather. JDH speculates that WTTD might favour a candidate with a more practical Scottish education than someone from an English university. JDH advises WTTD to ignore Britten's 'snarls' & not to elevate them by complaining to the Treasury.
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