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.