278 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



Secretary Labouchere to acquaint you that their Lordships have stated 

 that they have no objection to the course proposed in your letter. 



I am, etc., 



(Signed) Herman Merivale 



Hook 



Secretary of State for the Colonies, to be printed and forwarded to the 

 several Governors and Official Gentlemen in the West Indian Islands. 



Royal Gardens, Kew, June 16th, 1857. 



Sir, — The increased and increasing demand for textile substances 



— 



derived from fibres of plants, for woods (whether for timber or orna- 

 mental work), gums, resins, dye-stuff3, drugs, and other useful vege- 

 table substances, renders a knowledge of plants and their properties 

 and products of the highest importance to persons interested in our 

 Colonies. This has been felt and acknowledged in those few countries 

 of which a Flora has yet been published. The Secretary of State for 

 the Colonies in 1840 was the first to encourage the publication of a 

 Colonial Flora, viz. that of British North America, from the collec- 

 tions made at different times at the public expense, and the ' Flora 

 Eoreali- Americana ' was the result. 



That 



West 



Majesty's Government have liberally promised a grant of £300, and 

 the author is at this moment engaged in preparing for its publication. 



Already our own herbaria are rich in plants of these islands, many 

 of them still waiting scientific description ; and a large number of use- 

 ful vegetable products will be more fully made known to the public on 

 the completion of the proposed work. 



Still there is every reason to believe that by continued researches 

 more new plants and more useful products will be detected ; and the 

 object of the present application is to ask whether you will be pleased 

 60 far to sanction the accompanying Circular, or any modification of it, 

 as to allow it to be sent officially to the Governors of the respective 

 Islands possibly accompanied by a recommendation from the Secretary of 

 State that for the sake of the Colony and of Science, it may meet with 

 attention. l have> ^ 



' Q „ , (Signed) W. J. Hooker, Director. 



I .S. Many gentlemen connected with Jamaica and the British West 



