Letter from J.D. Hooker [Joseph Dalton Hooker] to George Maw

Information

Scope & content: Written from Royal Gardens, Kew. Manuscript

He has been thinking deeply about tree labels; he is considering adopting a larger sort than Maw’s No 9, for example 4.5 by 2.5 inches, and getting Maw to write them; labels are in such high demand that if Maw advertised written labels of the kind used at Kew’s arboretum for the more important trees of Europe and America at fixed prices he would do well from it; he suggests that Maw’s statement that the labels ‘can be seen at Kew’ is harmful to business as their ground labels are all smashed; he suggests that if they provide Maw with the names of the species and the endorsement, he could send them a set in exchange, and asks what Maw thinks of this bargain; with regard to Cyprus, Maw should take patterns out, as he does not think they will want anything as expensive as No 18, but No 6 may be the thing if written with a black pencil; he thinks they may not know what they want until they see the patterns; he encloses Colonel White’s [unidentified] last letter and asks Maw to return it soon [enclosure not present]

Credit Line: Courtesy of David Symonds Hooker / The Descendants of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker / RHS Lindley Collections