Description

Henry is sending Smith, in this mail from Bombay [Mumbai], six seeds of the 'Doum Palm', Hyphaene thebaica. There are 12 trees of them about 25 miles from Surat on the coast. Henry saw them for the first time this month when he collected the seeds, a few of which he is forwarding addressed to the Director of RBG Kew. Henry sent a few seeds to RBG Kew about four years ago, but never heard whether they succeeded. It is a very handsome tree, more branched than represented in 'T.B.' and the leaves are not exactly fan shaped, there being a distinct midrib in the older plants. Henry has ten female and two male trees growing about 200 yards from the sea shore, which are apparently of a great age. He wonders how they got there. Adansonia digitata is also common along the coast and it is generally considered that they were both brought there by the southwest monsoons. Smith must have nearly forgotten that Henry is alive, but he is so busy that he often forgets his old friends. He is keeping in very good health. His family have all gone away on a trip to Australia to see his two sons who are there with his brother for their education. Henry occasionally sees Mr Woodrow but has not seen Mr Stormont since he arrived in India. They are not very far apart but there is no direct road. Gujerat [Gujarat] is devoid of anything like roads, with the exception of the railroad and a few feeders for the highway. Annotated. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.

Description

Henry is sending Smith, in this mail from Bombay [Mumbai], six seeds of the 'Doum Palm', Hyphaene thebaica. There are 12 trees of them about 25 miles from Surat on the coast. Henry saw them for the first time this month when he collected the seeds, a few of which he is forwarding addressed to the Director of RBG Kew. Henry sent a few seeds to RBG Kew about four years ago, but never heard whether they succeeded. It is a very handsome tree, more branched than represented in 'T.B.' and the leaves are not exactly fan shaped, there being a distinct midrib in the older plants. Henry has ten female and two male trees growing about 200 yards from the sea shore, which are apparently of a great age. He wonders how they got there. Adansonia digitata is also common along the coast and it is generally considered that they were both brought there by the southwest monsoons. Smith must have nearly forgotten that Henry is alive, but he is so busy that he often forgets his old friends. He is keeping in very good health. His family have all gone away on a trip to Australia to see his two sons who are there with his brother for their education. Henry occasionally sees Mr Woodrow but has not seen Mr Stormont since he arrived in India. They are not very far apart but there is no direct road. Gujerat [Gujarat] is devoid of anything like roads, with the exception of the railroad and a few feeders for the highway. Annotated. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.

Description

Henry is sending Smith, in this mail from Bombay [Mumbai], six seeds of the 'Doum Palm', Hyphaene thebaica. There are 12 trees of them about 25 miles from Surat on the coast. Henry saw them for the first time this month when he collected the seeds, a few of which he is forwarding addressed to the Director of RBG Kew. Henry sent a few seeds to RBG Kew about four years ago, but never heard whether they succeeded. It is a very handsome tree, more branched than represented in 'T.B.' and the leaves are not exactly fan shaped, there being a distinct midrib in the older plants. Henry has ten female and two male trees growing about 200 yards from the sea shore, which are apparently of a great age. He wonders how they got there. Adansonia digitata is also common along the coast and it is generally considered that they were both brought there by the southwest monsoons. Smith must have nearly forgotten that Henry is alive, but he is so busy that he often forgets his old friends. He is keeping in very good health. His family have all gone away on a trip to Australia to see his two sons who are there with his brother for their education. Henry occasionally sees Mr Woodrow but has not seen Mr Stormont since he arrived in India. They are not very far apart but there is no direct road. Gujerat [Gujarat] is devoid of anything like roads, with the exception of the railroad and a few feeders for the highway. Annotated. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.