[[1]]
Kew
Sept[ember] 8/[18]75
Dear [Asa] Gray
I have just returned from a little visit to my India friend Hodgson (of Nepal) in
Gloucestershire[?] -- he is hale & well at 75 -- -- but he is absolutely idle. I also spent
a day at Cheltenham with my sister in law Mrs Barnard; & on my return find that
[William Turner Thistleton] Dyer has done a splendid lot[?] of work & got books&
official mss. into splendid order.
Thanks for your criticisms on Gen[era] Plant[arum]. I am thankful they are no worse.
I assure you that the keeping up Vaccinieae & Orabancheae was quite as much
Bentham[‘]s as my doing.
[[2]] we both gave weeks of careful consideration to the subject. He not I, is
responsible for Hypopithys Linn. versus Dillen[?]. I had the latter, but he would have
the former -- we agreed that the genus must stand.
Newberrya "alegenccheri"[sic?] is no doubt a transposition from Gray Torrey to Gray.
If you had to review all the Andromeda you would I think have done as I have.
I must look to Andromeda frondosa
Bryanthus & Phyllodoce -- we may argue about for ever. Ditto Oxycoccos. Ditto
Gaylussacia being a natural genus.
In your notes to Bentham you "do not object to its orobancheae being
[[3]] made a separate order" -- In your notes to me you say "They seem to me
manifest Ericaceae"! Which view am I to take, oh Clarissimae et oculatissimae
Pleuricospora in Bourgeau[']s Mexican collection -- I wrote about this & have Bureau
& Decaisne's positive assurance that there is nothing of the kind there, & they sent
me specimens of all Bourgeau[']s Monotropeae.
I deplore with you the omission postponment of your name for Lindley's under Diapensiaceae
-- we considered it but hardly thought that it was required for so small an order
constructed at various times -- to enter into a yarn about it -- we do not profess to
[[4]] enter into the history of the orders -- nor do I see the reasonableness of the
complaint that you were not quoted under Galax. In fact we did not think much of
Diapensiaceae as an order at all & were minded to put it again into Ericaceae.
As to overlooking your conspectus of Mertensia you will be sorry to hear that neither
Oliver, nor Dyer, nor Baker knew of it -- i.e remembered it, and that not all of our 3 brains all put
together can carry the "disjecta membra" of Gray on Botany -- on you go -- you care
nought for the convenience of Botanists, scattering, scattering, scattering -- this will
make you very angry, but our tempers were up long ago! And we rather chuckle
when, having done our utter[?] best, we find you left out in the cold in matters which
you "certainly could expect us to know".
[[5]] Thanks for yours of Aug[ust] 17th & seeds of Artcostaph.[Arctostaphylos] bicolor.
I hope Jackson has arrived with the plant case in good order.
Harriet*1 & co. are still at Boulogne but return next week. I am much exercised with
family matters of all kinds & sometimes at my wits end. Harriet makes a good careful
Housekeeper in most ways -- but is far too lazy to take the lead as head of the house
& being pretty is much asked out. I am most fortunate in having Mrs Turner & my
cousin with me, they will stay now till Dr Turner comes home -- they are at Boulogne
however now with Harriet.
Ever aff[ectionatel]y y[our]s | Jos D Hooker [signature]
ENDNOTES
1. Harriet Anne Thiselton--Dyer née Hooker (1854--1945). Botanical illustrator.
Oldest daughter of Joseph Hooker and his first wife Frances. Married William Turner
Thiselton--Dyer in 1877. Her husband was Assistant Director of RBG Kew (1875-1885) and later Director (1885--1905), succeeding her father.
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