Letter from Robert Fortune to the secretary of the Horticultural Society [Alexander Henderson], 21 Regent Street, London

Title

Letter from Robert Fortune to the secretary of the Horticultural Society [Alexander Henderson], 21 Regent Street, London

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/8/2/22

Date

30 Oct 1845

Scope & content

Written from Hong Kong

Letter No 22. Written on onion-skin paper

He acknowledges receipt of letters dated 1 May and 7 Jun; he arrived 'the other day' with a large collection of plants from the north; the plants are in good order, and contain several new species and duplicates of plants sent earlier which had died on the journey or were in a bad condition; the plants include a beautiful, evergreen species of Berberis ('Mahonia') with pinnated leaves, a 'fine, blue' Scutellaria, several roses, moutans [Paeonia suffruticosa], azaleas and other herbaceous, ornamental plants and shrubs likely to succeed in the gardens and greenhouses in England; he managed to procure a collection of 'very valuable' Japanese plants from Chapoo [Zhapu, Zhejiang, China], including an Azalea with small, 'brilliant red, almost dazzling' flowers; he will bring back most of the collection himself and send some duplicates on other ships: 'no vessel of ordinary size could find room for the whole of the cases upon the poop [poop deck]'

Fortune's expenses for 18 Aug-30 Sep 1845 include 'boat and chair hire since the 1st' $4.50, 'paid for plants for the Society' $2.50, 'boat hire and coolies [indentured workers] at Ningpo [Ningbo, Zhejiang, China]' $3.50, 'paid for a collection of Japan plants formerly ordered' $20 and 'paid for moutans (42 plants)' $8.50 [here the list includes 19 more items]. Includes a note with a promise to settle his bill with Messrs Dent [merchants in China]

Extent

4 page letter (1 sheet)

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)