WCP3539

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Sept.[embe]^r 20th. 1898.

My dear Mr. Deane¹

It is very long since I wrote to you, & I was reminded of it by receiving your recent President's Address, but two years ago you sent me another President's Address which was very interesting to me because it gave me reasons for believing that there had not been so great ^radical a recent change in the flora of Australia as had been stated. This is a very important point and I hope somebody is working at it, and that the problem will be soon completely solved.

I have recently published a book — "The Wonderful Century"² — which has brought me as I expected, a lot of criticism. I dare say you have seen the Colonial edition.

Amid a good deal of abuse I have some very sympathetic reviews, and on the whole am as well treated as I can [2] expect ^{for such a heretical work!} Although I am in fair health I feel the weakness of old age creeping over me, and shall not do much more in the literary way. Correspondence, reading, my garden & my orchids, now occupy all my time. I find the growing of the epiphytal orchids much easier than the terrestrial, so I have almost given up the latter. My little orchid home has four compartments differing in temperature and amount of light, and I grow about 100 or 150 species of the finest I can get with tolerable success, — but the constant attention they require for several hours every day is rather trying, except in the winter when it is a pleasant occupation.

In my garden I have a small pond in which I grow white, yellow, and the [3] red Swedish water lilies, which are very beautiful; and now I am longing to get a blue one, even if I have to grow it in a pot & keep it in the orchid house during the winter. At present no blue water lilies are considered hardy, but we ^{(a friend and I)} want to try. I find you have a blue one, Nymphaea gigantea, in New South Wales. I suppose it grows only in the Northern part of the Colony or in Illawarra. Does [the letters "oes" replace several deleted and illegible letters] it grow in gardens in Sydney? and can you send me a few ripe seeds? or perhaps a bit of root with a dormant bud might come ^{alive, sent} dry. If you can send me either ^{or both} I shall be very much [4] obliged. The success of Nelumbium speciosum in lakes in New Jersey where the ice is two or three feet thick every winter, renders it just possible that your blue lily may grow here altogether out of doors. At all events I should much like to try. If you ever come to visit the old country again I hope you will be able to come & see us. If your sister is still with you give her my kind remembrances; and with best wishes

Believe me | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]