Glasgow.
Feb March 1.
My dear Sir
You write to me, <1> I doubt not under an impression which is very general, namely that I have influence in the Botanic Garden. But such is by no means the case. The Garden belongs to the town. As a Subscriber I have access to it & as Professor of Botany the use of such specimens as are necessary for the instruction of my Class, which privilege the College has purchased for a sum of £2000. The town has given Mr Murray <2> the whole management of the Garden, a very able person in his capacity no doubt: – but you may very well conceive that he is sometimes a little jealous lest I should attempt to exercise any authority in the Garden. So I find it my best way never even to ask for anything over which I have not a just right. He on his part is I believe perfectly willing & desirous to make exchanges & so to increase the value of the collection. – I assure you if I had any power in the Garden I would send your seeds & plants with the greatest pleasure in the world. There is a “Drummondia” already which I have long ago applied to a Genus of Mosses, a tribe of Plants which he <3> was peculiarly fond of. De Candolle <4> has a Drummondia among Saxifragea but being published subsequent to mine it [illegible deletion] cannot stand.
I called & spoke to Mr Murray about a Gardener – but it will be necessary that you state more particulars as to the amount of Horticultural and botanical knowledge required: & whether a single or married man. Of course a good many go from our Garden, with the recommendation of Mr Murray. He says that in this neighbourhood where living is cheap, they have a House & fuel & from £35 to £40 a year. In England he says they would expect more, about £45: – possibly one might be obtained for £40, with the above privileges. Mr Murray thinks he knows of one at this time, who has had a good education in Bothwell gardens, & whom he thinks very well of.
I will make any further enquiry you please.
Thanks for the fruit of Veronica decussata <5>.
Your account with Drummond stands thus:
| 3rd Texas Collection | 358 | ||||
| reckoned at | 350 – | £ 7· | – | – | |
| Share of freight etc | –· | 7· | – | ||
| Apalashicola Plants | – | 5· | – | ||
| £7·12·– | |||||
Yours, my dear Sir,Very truly & faithfully
W. J. Hooker.
H. F. Talbot Esqre
31. Sackville Street <6>
Notes:
1. This is a reply to Doc. No: 03211, which dates the document to 1836.
2. Stewart M Murray (1789-1858), first Curator of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
3. Thomas Drummond (1793-1835), Scottish botanical collector; died in Cuba in early March 1835. Hooker’s remarks on Drummondia relate to a desire expressed by WHFT in Doc. No: 03211, to commemorate Drummond by giving his name to a genus of plants. Note that both Hooker’s and de Candolle’s Drummondia commemorated Thomas Drummond’s brother James ( ca.1784–1863).
4. Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (1778-1841), Swiss botanist.
5. See Doc. No: 03211 of 27 February 1836.
6. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.