WCP3605

Waldron Edge, Duppas Hill, Croydon

Jan[uar]y 17th 1879

My dear Sir

I beg to thank you for sending me copies "Gardeners Chronicle" containing Mr Paul’s¹ notices of my Epping Forest article. This should have some effect as proving, on the very best authority, that the scheme is practicable. I think however he has treated it rather too much from the nurseryman’s point of view as shown by his advocating the planting of "over sixty to one hundred variety’s[sic] of Hollie’s &c."— which he thinks will "compare favourably with [2] some of the so-called species of other countries."— This is of course decidedly opposed to my proposal, which is to produce here, as closely as we can, examples of the most marked types of temperate forest scenery. Mr Paul does not seem to appreciate either the botanical interest or educational, (and perhaps commercial) value of such an experiment.

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

Dr. Masters²