From J. D. Hooker   [4 June 1864]¹

Dear old D

I have been desperately pressed with work of late—&, as you know, take full licence to leave you in the lurch, without fear of consequences, in all such cases.

I return Scotts testimonials,² which are quite satisfactory, & which he should keep   I shall forward their grist to Anderson, who I shall write privately to, & also give Scott a letter to, & who I hope will aid him materially.—³ I cannot help thinking that Scott ought to do admirably well in many good places in India, & will be get on— Thomson,⁴ who knows all that I know & has seen Balfour’s former letters, thinks so too.—⁵ Cleghorn, Superintendent of Forest department is coming home,⁶ but I shall write to his locum tenens, D^r Stewart,⁷ & Thomsn will do so too. I will also give him a letter to Grote at Calcutta,⁸ a great friend of mine who is high up in position & very fond of gardening. The great thing would be for him to get temporary employment however small, as soon as possible after landing; & wait for some good appt. turning up. in the Forest, Tea or Cinchona plantations: which must be before long. Scotts peculiar temper will be no obstacle to the Hindoos & Mussulmen working well under him, & there is no occasion to say any thing about it at all to my correspondent— in fact there is no call for me to say anything about positions for which I do not think him suited.⁹

God help me, I find your letter of 31^st. says that silence shall mean I cannot send you Cardiospermum & Commelyna. ¹⁰ I believe you can have both— I will see to them at once & to Adlumia ¹¹ & other creepers. The fact is, our new man finds his own hands full & a deal for us to do;—we are losing plants by hundreds from bad cultivation & shall be much worse before we can be better.¹² The whole establishment nearly has been so utterly neglected horticulturally, all last winter that our hot-houses especially are all but denuded of rare new & interesting plants: & our young new & rare things are perishing by thousands from improper treatment— Of all the fine crop of Nepenthes I had raised a year or so ago (& sent you 2 young plants of)¹³ there is scarce one to be found young or old— The new man finds he must repot the plants in the whole garden, & teach the men how to do it too.— We are like a business that has just called in an accountant on the verge of bankruptcy, & are proportionally anxious & worried   It is this summer that is telling on the plants,—growth commences & there are no roots to meet demand; the bottoms of the pots full of mud from neglect bad soil & overwatering—the leaves loaded with vermin. Cinchona plants all killed but 3— not a Dendrobe in flower.¹⁴ Water lilies reduced to 2 species! Economic plants no-where. Per contra our new man seems a splendid & most judicious fellow—but how he will manage with some of the old foremen passes my finding out— I look forward to some rows for certain; meanwhile he is most prudent, & working with his own hands with a will.

Nepenthes certainly climbs by tips of leaves,¹⁵ I will try & get you a cutting struck.

I am going to Dublin at end of month to see see some new fashioned double roofed plant houses which I fancy are a great success— I shall probably send wife to Middleton Teesdale¹⁶ in July with D^r & Mrs Harvey¹⁷ & try & get down there a little myself as I have to go to see Backhouses nurseries¹⁸—but must be back by 21^st.

Ever yr affec | J D Hooker

I hope Scott will come here before he sails, does he go overland   if not, I will send a Ward case¹⁹ by same ship.