WCP6952

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

May 18th. 1899

My dear Mr. Deane

Many thanks for your kindness in sending me the roots of Blandfordia which arrived last week, but I am sorry to say quite dried up & I fear all dead. However I have potted these all in fresh sphagnum moss, & put them in a warm house, so that if there is any vitality in any of them they will have the best chance of recovery.

Bulb & seed dealers who have not a large export trade are quite ignorant of the ways of packing such things. They come in a paper box with a small quantity of some stuff like Jadoo[?] round the roots, but otherwise quite exposed, so that of course they got dust-dry. Their only change would have been (as I think I told you about [2] orchid tubers) to have been tied up tightly in ^{plenty of dry} moss when fresh taken from the ground, so as to preserve their natural moisture from evaporating. This with a little charcoal dust to preserve from fungus is very effectual with all fleshy tubers. The seed has shown no sign of germinating though it seemed quite fresh.

I must also thank you for the copies of reviews of my book, which however I am sorry you took the trouble to make. I only thought if you came across any you might send me the paper. They correspond very closely with scores I have had in England.

I have just received a huge [3] box of orchids from India from the Calcutta Bot. Gardens — over a hundred plants, may very fine species & mostly new to me, and as I had a box from Ceylon a month back, as well as others from Singapore, I have abundance of work for the next month or so. I have also received lately three separate lots of the blue S. African water-lily — Nymphaea scutata. Only one of each of the two first lots have survived (sent by a horticulturist) but the last lot, from a private person, is in much better condition [4] having many fleshy roots to the tubers, & I think will grow well. They came in a wooden box with plenty of wet moss. I have arranged a large zinc bath in my garden with a small brick pit beneath it in which I keep a small lamp burning, & this maintains the water at about 70° F. ^{(80 with sun)} & I think they will grow well. As it is imbedded in a sloping bank & stones, it does not look bad. If you should get me your blue water-lily I will start another warm pond, I hear that at Kew they have just made a new outdoor tank kept at proper temp. by hot pipes, for tropical water-lilies, including the Victoria regia!

With best wishes | Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]