WCP4245

[1]

Feb[ruary] 3rd 1913.

Old Orchard,

Broadstone,

Dorset.

Dear Mrs Cockerell¹

I was much interested in reading about Rosa Stellata²[?] in Nature³ of 2 weeks & to hear that you have retained seeds of it. The plant you gave us has not produced any as yet. I must thank you for so kindly sending the hips when I asked you, for Mrs Willmott⁴, they arrived in due course, but they have been opened by some one[sic] on the way [2] & are not as you packed them, but I have no doubt they answered the purpose. I delayed thanking you for them at the time as I was waiting to hear from Mrs Willmott first, & have waited ever since. I can only suppose that she was too busy to remember to do so, & I have been quite knocked up & unable to do anything for the last six months, so please excuse my negligence. I should very much like to know what you have done about your Sunflower? [3] Of course last year was a terrible one for wet & it would not have had much chance here in England, it was bad for most things except beans. The book brought out by Mrs Willmott, The Genus Rosa⁵ is most expensive & only fit for millionaires. £20 odd. &[sic] we hear not any use for reference, & are not likely to see it, but I saw the drawing of Rosa Stellata by Parsons⁶ it was beautifully done from flowers he had from us. I gave all the information I could about it and how we came possessed by the plant.[,] but do not know what she has done about it, so I am very glad [4] Professor Cockerell⁷has written about it and put it straight. Suttons⁸ wrote & asked if I had seed of it. After reading the description of the hips that had been fertilized I suppose those sent had no seeds but more like those I had on the plant 8 years ago. It reminded me of those of the Austrian Briar⁹ which has hips but nothing in them. I never saw the [1 word illeg.] seeds until I crossed a flower of it with another rose & retained 2[?] seeds[.] The fertilized hip became round & pulpy instead of hard & [1 word illeg.]. Dr Wallace is very well & busy writing as hard as ever, he has just passed 90.[,] & feels like 50.

With our kindest remebrances to you both | I am yours sincerely | Annie Wallace [signature]