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Document number: 02798
Date: 09 Feb 1834
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: HOOKER William Jackson
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 1st May 2012

Glasgow.
Feb. 9. 1834

My dear Sir

It is only about a week ago that I wrote to my friend Spence, <1> who lately brought me a parcel from Bertoloni, <2> to ask him if he knew how I could send one to him in return. But as yet I have had no answer. Can you assist me in this matter? I shall certainly put up, in your name, for him the plants you mention in your list. <3> I have many other rare British plants to send him besides: – but he surprizes me by asking only for British. Do you think that good Exotics, from America, N. Holld <4> &c would not be acceptable to him? For I should really like to send him a packet of some value when I am about it: & I should too have the better claim upon him for the rarities of the south of Europe. I must confess that what he has sent me have disappointed me a good deal; so many of them are common all over the continent & others such as Polygonum Bistorta, in this country too. One & only one Sicilian plant was included: yet he must surely have the command of many excellent Floras. However, I shall write to him for something better. The plants peculiar to those extreme parts of Europe are what I most covet, not such as are common to all Italy & France.

I shall soon have occasion to send a large box to Hunneman <5> & will enclose the dispatch for Bertoloni.

Drummond <6> has sent some more good plants from N. Orleans & some very excellent ones from Texas: – to several of these latter I have attached names. Would you like that I should continue to send you from these collections? (there are about 100 species in each of the 2 collections now mentioned, at £2 the 100). – I do not send them without asking to know your wishes, because because I have not yet performed my promise of publishing a list of the names. This has however been no fault of mine, for the difficulty of getting my “ Botl Journal <7>” published is very great: & I have only at length accomplished it, by making a heavy pecuniary sacrifice. The 1st No finished more than a year ago, is at length out; & my Printer circulated 10,000 advertisements. I am now actually printing the 2d No which commences with an interesting account of the Classical plants of Sicily by a Mr Hogg. <8> The first part of Drummond’s plants follows. The Texas plants which constitute a very difft vegetation will be treated separately. Drummond is indeed a most deserving person & has done a vast deal for Botany. I sent him £80 last week & desired him to proceed as soon as the Spring commenced to the Mountains of N. Mexico & to return to N. Orleans by the Red river if possible.

I trouble you with a note for Hunneman which I will thank you to let your servant put into the 2dy Post,<9> & am

My dear Sir, Most faithfully Yours
W. J. Hooker.

Notes:

1. Probably William Spence (1783–1860), Fellow of the Linnean Society.

2. Prof Antoine Bertoloni (1793–1868), Italian botanist.

3. See Doc. No: 02795.

4. New Holland, Australia.

5. James Hunneman, London nurseryman.

6. Thomas Drummond (1793-1835), Scottish botanical collector; died in Cuba in early March 1835.

7. William Jackson Hooker, The Journal of Botany (London, Edinburgh: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman, etc.; A & C Black, 1834–1842).

8. John Hogg (1800–1869), FRS, Fellow of the Linnean Society.

9. Twopenny post.