WCP421

[1]

Broadstone, Dorset.

Dec^r. 8th. 1903

My dear Annie¹

I send you the last 2 Zoo. tickets, in case you sh^d. like to go with Miss A. [Armstrong] or her niece. Violet² also sends you Will’s³ last 2 letters which you will see are very lively and as full of "jokes" as Mr. Meldola’s⁴ used to be.

I have heard that the Australian water-lilies that I sent to Kew did flower well this year. If you go there will you enquire of either the superintendent at the office, or of any man who may be in the house with the large pond where the Victoria grows, whether the leaves have all died off as mine have, and whether they [2] keep them cooler in the winter. Every leaf of ours have died away, but I think that is their habit and the only thing is to know whether cold water will be better for them to rest in. The big blue ones are sending up fresh leaves & flowers as fast as ever.

We are getting on very well, & Emily makes us very nice puddings &c. I bought a few apples at Poole said to be Blenheim Oranges & they were so good I asked Violet to get more, & she bought 12 lbs. but they said they were "Northern Spy" However they were very good too and apparently the same as the [3] others, and they said if we took a whole barrel we could have them at for 18/- which comes to about 1 ½d a lb. instead of 3d. as a barrel contains 12 dozen pounds. She bought the barrel yesterday & we expect them tomorrow, and so we shall have enough to last till the gooseberries come in. They are I believe Canadian, & are large and very well flavoured.

I also sent to a place in Ireland for 2 chickens to be sent Post free for 3/6. After waiting a week they came — one chicken & one duckling, & both were very good. The place was [4] Ballaghaderrin, in Roscommon, & it was advertised in T.P.’s Weekly. They came ready for cooking. We can try them again when you come home.

I covered up everything when the first hard frost came, but it only lasted the regular 3 nights & now we have the usual wet & wind again.

Give my very kind regards to Mrs Armstrong, and

Believe me | yours very affectionately | Alfred [signature]