Parkstone, Dorset.
Novr. 14th. 1898
My dear Clement Reid1
The facts as to the Pinus maritima are rather against the accidental introduction of Siniethis[?] if as I understand you to say the seeds were imported from France, sown at Southampton, & the young seedling trees planted out about Bournemouth &c. The little plateau where Siniethis[?] grows is covered with large trees of the Pinus which may well be 70 years old. Can you [2] find out whether the Irish locality is also in among Pinus maritima. If not, it would be strongly in favour of the plants being a survival like the Erica ciliaris2 & other W. European plants. I cannot see why one should be considered a recent introduction more the the others. Greater rarity only shows that it is nearly to extinction.
As to Acer Niouspessulanum[?], I see that Hemsley3 in his book [3] on hardy plants says it is "quite hardy in Britain," and as it occurs in W. Germany it must be so. I am glad you are so successful with the fossil plants.
Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP1471.7618)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
To Clement Reid Esq.
Parkstone,
Dorset.
Oct[ober] 20th, 1898
My dear Clement Reid
The facts as to the Pinus maritima are rather against the accidental introduction of Simethis if as I understand you to say the seeds were imported from France, sown at Southampton, & the young seedlings trees planted out about Bournemouth &c. The little plateau where Simethis grows is covered with large trees of the Pinus which may well be 70 years old. Can you find out whether the Irish locality is also among Pinus maritima. If not, it would be strongly in favour of the plants being a survival like Erica ciliaris & other W[est] European plants. I cannot see why one should be considered a recent introduction more than the others. Greater rariety rarity only shows that it is nearer to extinction.
As to Acer Monspessulanum, (?) I see that Hemsley1 in his books on hard plants says it is "quite hardy in Britain", and as it occurs in W[est] Gernany it must be so. I am glad you are so successful with the fossil plants.
Yours very truly Alfred R. Wallace.
Status: Draft transcription [Transcription (WCP1471.1250)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
To Clement Reid Esq.
Parkstone,
Dorset.
Oct[ober] 20th, 1898
My dear Clement Reid
The facts as to the Pinus maritima are rather against the accidental introduction of Simethis if as I understand you to say the seeds were imported from France, sown at Southampton, & the young seedlings trees planted out about Bournemouth &c. The little plateau where Simethis grows is covered with large trees of the Pinus which may well be 70 years old. Can you find out whether the Irish locality is also among Pinus maritima. If not, it would be strongly in favour of the plants being a survival like Erica ciliaris & other W[est] European plants. I cannot see why one should be considered a recent introduction more than the others. Greater rariety rarity only shows that it is nearer to extinction.
As to Acer Monspessulanum, (?) I see that Hemsley1 in his books on hard plants says it is "quite hardy in Britain", and as it occurs in W[est] Germany it must be so. I am glad you are so successful with the fossil plants.
Yours very truly Alfred R. Wallace.
Status: Draft transcription [Transcription (WCP1471.4334)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP1471,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1471