WCP3841

[1]^{1, 2,3}

Broadstone, Wimborne

July 6th. 1906

Dear Mr. Hemsley⁴

I have lately obtained a plant of Escallonia organensis which seems to be rare in cultivation. I once saw a statement in some horticultural work that this plant is not from the "Argan Mts" near Rio Janeiro, but from Mts. of a similar name in New Mexico; and this receives some support from the statement in that very useful & interesting little book. Mrs London's "Ladies' Companion to the Flower Garden" ^{(dated 1865)} that E. organensis and E. pterocladon are "more hardys" than Erubia & E. monteordensis. For a long time I could not hear of any [2] 2) "Argan Mt^ns" in New Mexico, but the other day I received from America the description of a new Rose (Rosa stellata) the locality of which is given as being "The Argan Mountains" and "The White Mountains", New Mexico.

My friend Cockerell,⁵ who lived some years in N. Mexico, never heard of an Escallonia there, or any where in the U. S. flora. Can you tell me which is the true locality, as no doubt you have specimens of the plant in the Herbarium.

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While writing to you there is another point on which I shall be glad of information. Mr Slater^{6 of Malton}, my old friend Spruce's⁷ executer, is anxious⁸ [3] 3) (as am I) to have his journals, letters, & other MSS. published, & I have agreed to edit them, if a publisher can be found for them. Unfortunately they seem to be very fragmentary, as no Journals or botanical notes can be found, relating to his whole 3 years travels in the Rio Negro, Rio Uaupes, and Orinoco. Sir Joseph Hooker⁹ tells me, however, that there ^are about 90 letters of his to Sir William Hooker,¹⁰ a few of which were printed in the Journal of Botany, while there are others, & "notices", in the Kew Garden Miscellany. He ^Spruce also wrote many letters to Mr Bentham,¹¹ no doubt largely [4] 4) botanical. All these letters now belong to the Kew Herbarium Library. Can you tell me if the rules of the Library would allow of these letters being sent to me to read, in order that I might have copies made of all that seem worth publishing? If not, I suppose I must apply to the Director for permission to have copies made of all that are of any general or botanical interest. Have you or any one else that you know of read many of these letters? Can you let one of your assistants look over them & make a rough estimate of the number of thousand words in the whole, & the cost of copying them in the library.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]¹²