From Joseph Hooker   2 May 1865

Kew May 2d/65

My dear Dr Mueller

You will be sorry to learn that my father has been very seriously ill of Bronchitis, he is now quite out of danger, but weakened, & will have to take great care of himself. At his age, he will be 80 in July, such attacks are very alarming, happily he has good health & strength to withstand them.

Under these circumstances I am as you may suppose overwhelmed with work, & must ask you to excuse my writing at length. My father is himself well enough to write, though he has not done any work for a month, & he will I hope address you himself.

I do not know how we stand, as to expenses of transmission of cases — I fear I have got into confusion about them & find two bills of lading amongst my papers which should have gone to you before. If we are in your debt for freight, pray let us know — Mr Smith¹ thinks the arrangement was that each pays on receipt of the cases.²

Some Tussoc grass³ spikes go out to you by this mail — [part] at my father's desire, — I have told him they contain nothing but unopened flowers, but he thinks you should see this for yourself — the case of Tussock plants arrived utterly dead, & rotten through. We have sent to Hebrides for some plants for you, but they are not fit to send yet.

I wish you would send us a small dry-box of tubers of terrestial orchids. I think if taken up in your autumn they would arrive in good order. You find fault with us for not perforating the box, that had the papyrus,⁴ — another correspondent attributes the death of his plants to the perforations!

With united sincere regards

Ever very truly yr

J D Hooker.

Papyrus