ENLISTING A NEW COEEESPONDENT 251 



mention that it is .within the last very few years only that 

 we have ascertained the origin of Chinese Cassia, of the 

 Star Anise, and of the Coffin wood, all through the energy 

 of Mr. Ford of the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens : and the 

 more we hear of China, the more persuaded we are of the 

 inexhaustible riches of her vegetation in the way of utilised 

 plants for textiles, drugs, dyes, gums, waxes, &c., of which 

 nothing is known except by vague reports. 



It is a singular fact, that none of the late expeditions 

 into the interior of China, Giles's, Baber's, or Colquhoun's, 

 has added materially to our knowledge of its vegetation 

 and native products. Not that I would speak disparagingly 

 of their labors or works, for those of Baber especially were 

 quite admirable, but those explorers have not the knowledge 

 which you possess and which renders your Tamsui Journal 

 so deeply interesting to botanists, and which makes Kew so 

 desirous of obtaining collections from you. 



It would afford me sincere pleasure if I could aid you in 

 any way. If you were to send us Herbarium specimens 

 numbered, I would guarantee a speedy return of the names 

 of the plants so numbered, as far as we could determine 

 them, and our means of doing this are unrivalled. 



I have been studying the Palms lately and we have not 

 a single one, known to me, from Formosa ! The seeds of 

 any China Palm would be most acceptable. 



I take the liberty of forwarding a copy of the latest 

 Kew Eeport, and trusting that you will forgive my intrusion, 

 Believe me very faithfully yours, 



Jos. D. HOOKER. 



To turn to more personal interests, in 1881 a trip to 

 Italy was taken in company with Prof, and Mrs. Asa Gray, 

 ' most agreeable and most considerate travelling companions,' 

 and lasted from the beginning of March to May 12. They 

 began with the Naples district ; ascended Vesuvius on the one 

 fine day of their stay ; and worked northward by Eome and 

 the Umbrian cities to Florence, and finally to Venice and the 

 Italian Lakes. 



As to botany, he confesses he did very little, and indeed the 

 spring was too backward for much. He visited various Italian 

 botanists, and the Forest school at Vallombrosa. At Florence 



