476 THE LAST YEARS 



Pearson, now at the Cape, whether he had come across this 

 lost plant, and his final wish as Pearson started for a most 

 interesting bit of botanical exploration in 1910, was that he 

 might at last find General Barkly's huge Mesembryanthemum, 

 and plenty of plants throwing light on the present or past 

 distribution of the Flora. The result was of the happiest. 



To Professor Pearson 



Sidmouth: March 11, 1911. 



Your most interesting letter of February 12 reached me 

 here two days ago, and gave me a shock of pleasure. Your 

 Namaqua third journey has been indeed a success, and I 

 heartily congratulate you, as I do myself for having lived 

 to read of the rediscovery of the giant Mesembryanthemum. 

 So important an event cannot be hidden from scientific 

 purview, and I felt compelled to communicate it to Colonel 

 Prain for the Kew Bulletin, hoping that you will approve 

 of my action. 



Constant to the last in his claims for the scientific extension 

 of practical botany, he enclosed a formal message of support 

 to Professor Pearson's efforts in this direction. 



Sidmouth : March 12, 1911. 



MY DEAR PROFESSOR PEARSON, I have read with deep 

 interest your excellent pamphlet advocating the establish- 

 ment of a Botanical Garden at Cape Town. 



My long official connection with the Eoyal Gardens, Kew, 

 the originator of so many Colonial Gardens and the active 

 correspondent of so many more, leads me to hope that my 

 voice may be heard in support of your appeal. 



That our Colonies both temperate and tropical have 

 profited exceedingly by their Botanic Gardens in economic 

 and aesthetic points of view needs no demonstration by me, 

 and there is not one of them known to me that its Govern- 

 ment or people would dream of abandoning. 



The South- Western African Flora is the richest and per- 

 haps the most beautiful of any temperate one in the world, 

 and must contain a great number of plants of a great 

 economic value that can only be tested under continual 

 cultivation : that none of these should be rubber yielding is 



