WCP3931

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

August 22nd. 18906

Miss Flora Mitten

My dear Flora

I send you a letter Annie has just received from Mr. Hemsley.¹ Will you be so good as to send him the copy of the photo.

With regard to the latter part of the letter I shall be glad of a little exact information. It is evident that your father² promised them at Kew, that his collections should not be parted with without their knowledge. I understand from [2] Annie that your father had had an offer from Kew, which he considered far below their value, and that a few days before then ^his death he asked you to write to a lady in America who had offered to buy them some years back, and stating that he asked £400 for them. I hope you have a copy of this letter, because, if it did not contain a definitive offer to sell at that price, I think Kew should have the offer at [3] the same price, and I am sorry he did not state to them his estimate of their value, as ^because now, under a new Director, they may be willing to give it. It would certainly be more useful to botanists, and more appropriate as a memorial of your father's botanical work if they ^collections remained in England.

Of course we must get the highest price possible for them, but if the Kew authorities are now willing to give that price I think every body who knows your father would much prefer that [4] they should remain in England.

Will you also tell me if the price he asked was for the whole of his plants, or for the first set, — as I understand there is a second set not much inferior. I should greatly regret if anything should be done which should cause the Kew authorities to think they had not been given the option of purchase at whatever price was offered elsewhere.

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

P.S. Please keep Mr. Hemsley's letter & let me have it back when you have occasion to write. A.R.W.

This really implies a refusal, at a final price.³