From John Booth to Joseph Hooker   26 June 1871

Flottbeck¹ 26th June 1871

Private

My dear Sir,

I received your kind letter and was delighted to hear that you had safely returned. Your reports have been red with the greatest interest & I hope we shall hear more.

The Todea did arrive some days ago and is indeed a wonderful thing although I expected much after all descriptions I must confess I did not expect to see such a wonder. But in the first instance we must put things right in all directions so that Mr Müller gets what he wants 'honour & fame' and if he wants a substantial proof of my acknowledgement I don't mind to send him through your hand a cheque (what do you mean to this² and if you agree to my proposal you will also write me what you think proper) Further I shall send you £15— which you tell me you have sent him yourself, that will not dothat you do this³ the freight which you charged Kew might be taken as the amount of things which I have sent to the gardens, and so the money side of the affair settled.

But now comes other points. In the eyes of the English gardening community this plant must have had nothing to do with Kew — else they would make a great noise and I must have received this plant direct (as in fact I have and it was never at Kew —), but thus Mr Müller must also stick to it to have sent it direct to Me, which is also the fact and the [...] when I pay him direct (not exchange). His fame will nevertheless been⁴ blown about, as I shall furnish you with a few details and a sketch, — a photograph is difficult to be made, in consequence of the moist and shut up place I gave the plant. From the Gard Chronicle & Hort magazine it will […] its way through all the journals and finally it will find a place in a new undertaking we are going to build in Berlin, — the largest wintergarden ever built capital of the company 250,000£ — and which will be ready in a year or two, — and where thousands will read Mr M's name and admire this wonder a thing which is never to be ascertained before a long period has elapsed. Had this plant stood two or three years thriving so that it is beyond all doubt that internal live is not wanting, it is of great value, but the meantime all is risk. In your description you must quite openly state that the plant has been in my possession having been imported direct from Australia, — clear breast is always the best thing of all. And I hope Mr Müller will also see this affair in the right light You will perhaps tell him, that your gardens had received many things and that you had promised long ago this plant to me, and that the chance [to …]⁵ of such big things was precious, you had preferred to keep your small specimens &c &c

So everything will be cleared I pay to you £15— to Mr Müller for his pains &c £? and he just as well gets the credit. The main thing to settle is that this plant came into my possession, — this must be come over in one way or another. To have shown this plant in the International Exhibition⁶ ("this International is itself a Humbug") would not have been favourable to the plant, nor is it in the state to be exhibited.

It has thrown up many fronds, all white through the absence of light, and which now all are decaying, — the dimensions are as Mr M gives them and the mass is altogether very picturesque which you will see by the sketch I am preparing for you. Finally, my dear sir, I need not mention that in case you want me to return the specimen I hope you will not hesitate in telling me so, without any guarantee of course on my part of course of its safe arrival, — the weight is enormous and I had about 27 men to bring the plant from the packing shed, where it was unpacked, to the place where it stands now. I had a wall broken down and built up again for the [fern] to recover, — I had a special place of accommodation and so I did not mind to break the end of a house. Let Mr Müller send more such wonders in the vegetable world, — big and enormous things. No Stove plants but all cold! I shall pay them with pleasure, — whatever you may want for your gardens I shall be happy to send and I expect your desiderata for Autumn ­in large deciduous trees & shrubs.⁷

I was glad to hear that my plants were doing well, although the weather has been really too bad end of June and no Roses, no Strawberries, […] lain and 8 degrees C! fire in our rooms! What a […]! In short time I shall leave for some weeks in Vienna & Hungary — have you any commission? I should be too glad to do anything for you. When our grand scheme of a wintergarden will come to execution I will visit you in England to get big palms &c &c. What is Quercus austriaca of which you write they were killed? I do not know this name? Mrs Booth wishes to be remembered to Mrs H. and you

Most sincerely yours

John Booth

Quercus austriaca

Todea