To George Knights 17 February 1857

My dear Knights,

I have been so over busy I have had no time to write - though I have been wanting to do so. I am getting afraid I shan't be able to come over till after the Cambridge Examinations, I have so much to do before I go there. I go to Bury on the 9th lecture there on the 10th & to Cambridge for the rest of that week & am obliged to cut a lecture I was to have attended (by Mr Nesbitt) at Hadleigh on the 13th. I think it will be best not to prepare frames & rods beforehand - but to treat each mass or article to be suspended separately. I will make out the list of the Books as soon as I can give thought to the matter - but it must not be prepared without some little consideration. You may however order without hesitation what is wanted of Woodward's shells which is now concluded. I have been taking in Hanby expressly for the Museum if the committee choose to purchase it - otherwise I mean to keep it. I have received nearly all that is out, but some Nos. are still in London. Tell Dr Drummond I have looked out a packet of duplicates of English plants, which may be overhauled when I come to Ipswich - & any that are wanted taken from them. The rest I shall find useful among my Class at Cambridge. My rule is to make up my Village a/c before Easter for the past year. It is very kind of you to think of my poor folks, & I don't think it right to refuse any thing given them, but I hope you will not suppose it necessary to continue your subscription if you wish to bestow it nearer home, or apply it to purposes you may consider as useful. My village Class has started with great energy this year in Botany. I have arranged for a lecture at 3 P.M. every Monday - & have about 30 volunteers including 5 who have left school. The zeal & I may say progress they have shown is really interesting. If the plants at the Museum are thrown into order, we shall have no difficulty in comparing the duplicates I propose bringing & selecting at once what are needed. I have had a few glued (Suffolk varieties) to the sort & size paper I would suggest for the herbarium. It is cheaper & better than perfectly white paper for the purpose & has been adopted at Kew, Cambridge & elsewhere. Baker is making me a model for a Microscopic exhibition which I think will be very useful in Museum & at Microscopic, soirees. The best plan for Herbarium Cabinets is to have fixed shelves with double doors opening with a common lock which closes both at one bolt. The whole may by of deal, thin wood, & cannot cost much. When we have settled the size of the paper, it will be easy to say what the size of the shelves must be 2 packets should lie side by side on each shelf. The 2 doors opened expose at once a large No. of packets. A ream of paper allows of 20 x 24 x 2 = 960, plants being stuck down. My plant sticker has lately consumed 3 reams at this rate! I shall have to write to Bristol for more before long, & perhaps can order half a doz at the same time for Ipswich - they cost about 21/- each.

Yrs truly

J. S. Henslow

[Illustration showing plan of herbarium in cabinet on right side of page]