BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 275 



from individuals for information respecting the products of plants, of 

 gums, resins, drugs, dye-stuffs, timbers, ornamental woods, fibres for 

 paper and clothing, etc. etc., which information can at present only be 

 obtained from our Gardens and our Museum of Economic or Practical 

 Botany. But we are ourselves often deficient in many of the plants 

 and products of plants, even of our own possessions abroad ; and our 

 colonists and travellers in our colonies repeatedly and anxiously inquire, 

 but in vain, what book they can consult on the countries they are about 

 to visit. To the honour of the Colonial Office, the first Colonial Flora 

 that ever appeared, namely that of " British North America/' was pub- 

 lished in 1840 (by myself), under the authority (and at the expense) of 

 "the Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs." This was the result of 

 the several journeys and voyages undertaken to explore the more north- 

 ern and western territories, by Franklin, etc. etc., and appeared in two 

 volumes quarto, with 240 plates, and an excellent map of all the British 

 possessions. Since then, a valuable Flora of the " Falkland Islands/' 

 and of our " Antarctic Possessions /' another of " New Zealand," and 

 now of "Van Diemen's Land/' have appeared, These, in quarto, with 

 numerous plates, maps, etc., have all been published by Dr. Hooker, 

 "under the authority" (and at the expense) of "the Lords of the Ad- 

 miralty." But these, valuable and important as they assuredly are, 



are on too expensive a scale to be generally useful. What I would ven- 

 ture to suggest is, a work in octavo, without plates, scientific yet intel- 

 ligible to any man of ordinary education; and the country that I par- 

 ticularly have in view, is the British West Indian Islands, so rich in 

 useful vegetable products. I have reason to know that a very able 

 botanist, Dr. Grisebach, is only deterred from publishing this l?lora, 

 by the fact that such works are not remunerative to the author, who is 

 necessarily put to a great expense in the preparation. This Flora 

 should appear in two volumes octavo, each of about 500 pages. To 

 secure the author from positive loss, a sum of £300 would be required ; 

 and then, and only then, he would be justified in carrying out the pub- 

 lication. How far the Right Honourable the Secretary for the Colonies 

 naay deem it right to provide such a grant, must be left to his honour- 

 able consideration and judgment. — I have, etc., 



(Signed) W. J. Hooker, Director. 



