FOEEST CONSEEVATION 7 



his having foreseen the possibilities of rubber as long ago 

 as that ! 



In 1868 he strongly encourages Sir Henry Barkly in his 

 efforts for the salvation of the forests in Mauritius, where, as 

 in New Zealand and the Western Cape districts, a decrease of 

 rainfall and general humidity appeared to follow forest de- 

 struction by axe and fire. India had found a remedy by 

 inaugurating a staff of well-paid forest officers, who received 

 two years' training in the forest schools of Germany and 

 France ; but ' our arbitrary Indian measures would not suit 

 a Colony? 



July 6, 1868. 



Even in England we are suffering from over drainage, 

 and the desiccation of the air and extremes of cold rainy 

 seasons and protracted droughts are no doubt > due to this. 

 At Kew, where thirty years ago very good collections of 

 Mosses and Hepaticae were to be made in the wood, there 

 are now not a dozen species, and the underground streams 

 and back springs of Eichmond Hill being diverted into drains, 

 the trees suffer frightfully and die by scores. ... I am now 

 introducing watermains and standcocks all over the grounds 

 and having reservoirs built on Eichmond Hill for the supply 

 of the Gardens with water which we pump from the Thames 

 up to the reservoir. 



Later, he reports progress with regard to New Zealand. 

 To Sir H. BarUy 



July 6, 1874. 



The Colonial Govt. have sent me 100 to be expended 

 on boxes and carriage of forest plants which Kew is to 

 supply to the Colony during the summer. I am very glad 

 of all this though, as it will tend to impress the Govt. with 

 the practical value of Kew to the State, of which the last 

 Govt. were absolutely ignorant,, and showed no wish to be 

 instructed. 



It was the business of Kew to maintain a correspondence 

 with other great Botanical Gardens ; but Hooker's own friend- 

 ship with many of the men at the head of these gave the corres- 



