Description

The bearer of this letter is Mrs Lowder, Lady Alcock's daughter-in-law. Mrs Lowder is bringing with her one or two lily roots for RBG Kew, which she says are very rare. Mrs Lowder is fleeing the cold weather and returning home for a few months. North was enchanted with the oddities of the 'strange islands' and had hoped to have been able to stay and see the beautiful spring and summer there, but a month at Kyoto gave her rheumatism enough 'for life' and her hands are only able to hold a pen and her feet are still useless. She is leaving for Singapore and hopes to be able to recover the use of her limbs there and then carry out her original plan of going to stay in Java. She writes principally to ask if Hooker has any of the perfect miniature trees that the Japanese delight in [bonsai]. North thinks these plants would look well in one of RBG Kew's cool houses. If Hooker cares for some, he could send to Mrs Lowder's husband for some. North notes that she has seen some odd things on her travels including the sumack[?] grafted on to the Candle tree. She thinks Hooker ought also to have what the Japanese call the 'heavenly Bamboo'. The latter is grown in pots for Christmas decoration with half the leaves red and half the leaves yellow and green and its roots are high above the earth. She thinks it would make the fortune of any Covent Garden dealer who mastered the art. She notes that the colour of the small leaved maples were quite as dazzling as anything she saw in Canada: the valley of Shinho[?] is worth a journey across the world to see when they are in their full beauty. She asks that her kind remembrances be given to Hooker's daughter and Mr Bentham. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.

Description

The bearer of this letter is Mrs Lowder, Lady Alcock's daughter-in-law. Mrs Lowder is bringing with her one or two lily roots for RBG Kew, which she says are very rare. Mrs Lowder is fleeing the cold weather and returning home for a few months. North was enchanted with the oddities of the 'strange islands' and had hoped to have been able to stay and see the beautiful spring and summer there, but a month at Kyoto gave her rheumatism enough 'for life' and her hands are only able to hold a pen and her feet are still useless. She is leaving for Singapore and hopes to be able to recover the use of her limbs there and then carry out her original plan of going to stay in Java. She writes principally to ask if Hooker has any of the perfect miniature trees that the Japanese delight in [bonsai]. North thinks these plants would look well in one of RBG Kew's cool houses. If Hooker cares for some, he could send to Mrs Lowder's husband for some. North notes that she has seen some odd things on her travels including the sumack[?] grafted on to the Candle tree. She thinks Hooker ought also to have what the Japanese call the 'heavenly Bamboo'. The latter is grown in pots for Christmas decoration with half the leaves red and half the leaves yellow and green and its roots are high above the earth. She thinks it would make the fortune of any Covent Garden dealer who mastered the art. She notes that the colour of the small leaved maples were quite as dazzling as anything she saw in Canada: the valley of Shinho[?] is worth a journey across the world to see when they are in their full beauty. She asks that her kind remembrances be given to Hooker's daughter and Mr Bentham. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.

Description

The bearer of this letter is Mrs Lowder, Lady Alcock's daughter-in-law. Mrs Lowder is bringing with her one or two lily roots for RBG Kew, which she says are very rare. Mrs Lowder is fleeing the cold weather and returning home for a few months. North was enchanted with the oddities of the 'strange islands' and had hoped to have been able to stay and see the beautiful spring and summer there, but a month at Kyoto gave her rheumatism enough 'for life' and her hands are only able to hold a pen and her feet are still useless. She is leaving for Singapore and hopes to be able to recover the use of her limbs there and then carry out her original plan of going to stay in Java. She writes principally to ask if Hooker has any of the perfect miniature trees that the Japanese delight in [bonsai]. North thinks these plants would look well in one of RBG Kew's cool houses. If Hooker cares for some, he could send to Mrs Lowder's husband for some. North notes that she has seen some odd things on her travels including the sumack[?] grafted on to the Candle tree. She thinks Hooker ought also to have what the Japanese call the 'heavenly Bamboo'. The latter is grown in pots for Christmas decoration with half the leaves red and half the leaves yellow and green and its roots are high above the earth. She thinks it would make the fortune of any Covent Garden dealer who mastered the art. She notes that the colour of the small leaved maples were quite as dazzling as anything she saw in Canada: the valley of Shinho[?] is worth a journey across the world to see when they are in their full beauty. She asks that her kind remembrances be given to Hooker's daughter and Mr Bentham. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.