From M. T. Masters   4 April 1868

My dear Sir/

I enclose these letters in hopes that you may be induced to reconsider your determination— There has long been a feeling that the Horticultural Society has not availed itself as it ought of its opportunities for promoting and encouraging those branches of science having a bearing on practical Horticulture. Hence the attempt to do better in future.¹

—I have no official connection with the staff of the Society but I have deemed it right to support the proposed scheme as far as I could— There must be scores of amateur horticulturists capable and willing to be observers at least in a small way if only there were some encouragement held out to them—some channel through w^h. they might make their researches known— Moreover we hope if a pressure is brought to bear that the Society may itself institute experiments or commission some competent person to do so.

I need not tell you how very many things might come under the scope of a committee such as we propose. Thomson is to be Botanical Chairman   De La Rue Chemical do— Hooker serves as full private and I verily believe that if we can get the support and sanction of such persons even if we cannot look for active co-operation from them—we may yet set the machine into useful working order—² your name would be to us as a tower of strength and I need not say how glad we should be of your suggestions as to what we should try to do—³ Berkeley⁴ is our Secretary and will have the Editorship of anything that may be published—

Thank you very much for the interesting observations about worms— it was published in the G.C. last week—⁵

You honor me too much by attributing the review of your Thesaurus to me⁶   the preliminary notice and a few sentences are all that I am personally responsible for. As a working botanist I cannot sufficiently express my thanks to you as the author of so valuable a treatise— It is as full of facts and references as Buckle—⁷

faithfully y^rs. | Maxwell T. Masters.