496 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 8, 1885. 
away from the two plants I had at South Kensington on the following 
day after I brought them home. These two plants have now finished 
their growth for this season. Though one of the plants stood in a dry 
room in London for more than a week without any water, and in con¬ 
sequence lost most of its roots, it has made splendid growths ; in fact, I 
think, rather better than they were last year. I hope next spring to get some 
fine flowers from these growths. As some Orchid growers are slow to 
believe that it is possible to make growth and flower them in one seasoD, 
I should be glad if those who are still doubtful would try for themselves 
what they can do. If any of the Committee who saw the plants at South 
Kensington would care to see them now, I shall be pleased to show them 
to anyone who will take the trouble to come.—H. C. Prinsep. 
SIR JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER. 
Last week we announced that Sir J. D. Hooker had resigned the 
directorship of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and as the time is an opportune 
one we now present our readers with a portrait of this gentleman, accom¬ 
panied by a review of his career, which proves how well he deserves the 
world-wide fame he has won as an accomplished botanist. 
Sir J. D. Hooker is the son of Sir William Jackson Hooker, and was 
born at Halesworth, Suffolk, June 30th, 1817, and is therefore now sixty- 
eight years of age, happily still in the enjoyment of good health and 
apparently none the worse for the exposure and fatigue he endured in his 
early travels. He was educated at Glasgow, and obtained the degree of 
M.D. from the university of that city in 1839. Very shortly afterwards 
Dr. Hooker commenced his active career as assistant surgeon in the 
Antarctic Expedition under the command of Sir James Clark Ross, and 
during three years’ travels in the southern seas accumulated vast stores of 
knowledge relative to the floras of New Zealand, Van Dieman’s Land, and 
other islands. The information thus acquired was embodied in “ The 
Botany of the Antarctic Voyage,” published in six volumes, the first in 
1847 and the last in 1860, which forms a most valuable work of reference 
upon all points connected with the interesting vegetation of those regions. 
After performing the duties of botanist to the Geological Survey of Great 
Britain in 1846, Dr. Hooker in the following year set out on his memorable 
journey to the Himalayas, where he explored the Sikkim di triet, experi¬ 
enced many dangerous adventures, and greatly enriched our knowledge of 
the numerous charming Rhododendrons which are found in that country. A 
superb work, “ The Rhododendrons of the Sikkim Himalaya,” published 
in 1849 to 1851, contains a number of beautifully executed sketches of 
these handsome plants, which drew much attention to them, and a large 
proportion of the best species have been since introduced at various times. 
The collection at Kew now comprises most of the leading forms, and 
visitors to the temperate house in the pleasure grounds have often had 
occasion to admire the grand flowers of R. Aucklandi, R. Edgeworthi, 
R. argenteum, and others of a similar character. 
In 1841 Sir William Jackson Hooker was appointed successor to Mr. 
W. T. Aiton as director of the Royal Gardens, K°w, and Dr. Hooker 
subsequent t) his return from India—namely, in 1855—was appointed 
assistant-director in the same establishment. A botanical tour in Syria 
was undertaken in 1860, the principal subject of investigation being the 
native Oaks, and a paper embodying the results was read before the 
Linnean Society soon after his return. The death of Sir W. J. Hooker 
in 1865 led to the appointment of his son as successor, and he has most ably 
carried on the work of improvement commenced by his father, having 
placed Kew Gardens in the foremost rank as a scientific institution. 
Much attention was attracted to the Darwinian views upon “ the origin 
of species ” and cognate matters by the eloquent opening address delivered 
by Dr. Hooker before the “British Association” at Norwich in 1868, and 
of which we gave a full notice in our issue of September 10 h of that year 
(page 189). In 1871 Dr. Hooker, accompanied by Mr. John Ball, spent 
some time in botanically exploring Morocco, where a large number of 
plants was obtained and imported to this country. The most recent 
expedition was that to the United States in 1877, where he spent three 
months with Dr. Asa Gray, whom he assisted in the botany of the 
United 8tates for the Government Surveys. 
Numerous honours have most worthily fallen to Sir J. D. Hooker. At 
the Oxford Commemoration in 1866 the honorary degree of D.C.L. was 
conferred upon him, and in the same year he received the degree of LL.D. 
from the University of Cambridge. In 1869 he was appointed Civil Com¬ 
panion of the Order of the Bath. The Royal Society elected him President 
in 1873 ; this post he resigned in 1878, and in the same year the University 
of Dublin accorded him the degree of LL.D. In 1877 he was created Knight 
Commander of the Star of India for the services rendered to the Indian 
Government. The Society of Arts in 1883 awarded Sir Joseph Hooker 
the Albert Medal for “the services rendered to the arts, manufacture?, 
and commerce by promoting an accurate knowledge of the floras and 
economic vegetable products of the Colonies and Dependencies of the 
Empire.” The Royal Geographical Society also in the same year 
awarded him their founder’s medal “ for his eminent services to scientific 
geography, extending through a long series of years and over a large 
portion of the globe, while engaged in voyages in the antarctic and 
Australian seas, and journeys to India and Himalaya, in Morocco and in 
the United States of America, and more especially for his long-continued 
researches in botanical geography, which have thrown light on the form 
of the land in prehistoric times, and the causes of the present distribution 
of the various forms of vegetable life on the earth.” 
Several of Sir J. D. Hooker’s works have been noticed in the course of 
the preceding remarks, but the others must not be omitted, as they rank 
amongst the most important botanical works published in this country. 
The “ Genera Plantarum,” which was commenced in 1862, and which, 
with the aid of Mr. Bentham, was brought to a conclusion a year or two 
since, is an extraordinary production, necessitating enormous labour and 
care. The Himalayan Journals, two vols., published in 1854, contain in¬ 
teresting descriptions of travels in that region, and while of scientific value 
also possess much popular interest, being written in a free and agreeable 
style. The “ Student’s Flora of the British Islands” first appeared in 1871, 
and has now become the accepted handbook for amateur botanists who study 
our native plants. Another very popular work is the “ Primer of Botany,” 
which has assisted some thousands in mastering the elements of modern 
botanical science. The “ Handbook of the New Zialand Flora ” and the 
“ Flora Nova} Zealandiae (Cryptogamia) ” are highly important and exhaus¬ 
tive works which have added greatly to the reputation of the author. In 
addition to these a “Journal of a Tour in Morocco and the Great Atlas ” 
was published, together with several papers in the Linnean Society’s 
“ Transactions,” and the able lecture on “ Insular Floras,” which was 
delivered before the British Association at Nottingham. The editorship 
of the “ Botanical Magazine ” has also been entrusted to Sir J. D. Hooker 
for some years past, and a valuable series of plates has been published 
during that time, including representations of many rare and beautiful 
plants which have flowered at Kew. 
In 1874 the “ Flora of British India ” was commenced, and up to the 
present only three volumes have been issued, as owing to Sir Joseph’s 
numerous official duties he has not hitherto been able to devote to it the 
time needed by such an undertaking. Now he intends applying the leisure 
which his release from office will afford to the completion of this im¬ 
portant work. It might have been supposed that after such an active 
career, and with such a record, Sir Joseph Hooker would be content to 
rest, but with him, as with all true lovers of science, work must have 
been his pleasure, or he could never have accomplished so much. 
In the great establishment, which has been under the directorship of 
Sir J. D. Hooker for the past twenty years, will also be found ample 
testimonies to his ability and devotedness to the advancement of botanical 
science on a broad foundation. Of special importance are the wonderful 
museums containing the economic products of the vegetable kingdom, 
the nucleus of which collection was contributed by Sir W. J. Hooker in 
1847. Since then they have been enormously increased by the efforts of 
the retiring director with the help of innumerable friends and correspon¬ 
dents in all parts of the world, until these museums have become vast 
storehouses representing the uses of plants as food, medicine, clothing, 
ornament, and for many other purposes. The importance of this depart¬ 
ment is widely recognised, and additions are constantly being made, the 
transference in 1878 of the India Museum collection to Kew Museum in¬ 
creasing the latter by 4000 specimens, which have been carefully arranged 
with the others in their natural orders. As an example of how greatly 
the collection has been extended, it may be remarked that in 1847 one 
room sufficed to contain the whole of it, now three large buildings are 
devoted to it. 
Another department which owes much to tbe Hooker?, both father and 
son, is the Herbarium, which as a general collection of dried plants is 
unrivalled in the world. It contains large numbers of specimens collecte 1 
by Sir Joseph Hooker himself, besides contributions from all the principal 
travellers and botanists who have wandered in search of plants in both 
tropical and temperate climates. It has become the centre of botanical 
knowledge not only of Britain but of Europe, and is resorted to by all 
the most distinguished naturalists of the day. This alone would have 
rendered Kew famed. 
Many improvements have been effected during Sir Joseph’s director¬ 
ship and through his influence, which can only be briefly noted, but pro¬ 
minence must be given to the wonderful gallery of floral paintings 
presented to the gardens by Miss Marianne North, a monument of 
industry and skill which could not have found a more appropriate home 
than at Kew. The Jodrell Laboratory for botanical research is another 
institution of considerable scientific importance, in which much valuable 
work has already been performed. The surprising collections of living 
plants have been extended, better housed, and better cultivated, while the 
correspondence with colonial botanic gardens has been enormously 
increased with advantage to both ; large quantities of Cinchonas, Gutta¬ 
percha-yielding plants, and others of economic importance having been 
reared at Kew and exported thence to various parts of the British empire, 
where valuable plantations have been formed. 
These are only a few examples of the work that has been done, but 
they will suffice to indicate how well Sir Joseph Hooker has earned his 
retirement. 
HARDY PLANTS AT MALPAS. 
It was getting late in June when I had a few hours’ enjoyment 
amongst the alpines and other hardy flowers at Edge Hall, where the gene¬ 
rous owner, Rev. C. Wolley Dod, indulges his enthusiasm for the plants 
he loves so well. No wonder the place had such a wealth of beauty 
when we understand what pains are taken to develope the culture of 
hardy flowers, for after seeiDg most of the best collections in the country 
I confess I never saw anything equal to the wealth of interest there was at 
Edge at the time of my visit. To the lover of hardy flowers the collec¬ 
tion is essentially an educational one, because Mr. Wolley Dod subjects 
the merits of the majority of his plants to a crucial test. They are cul¬ 
tivated with zeal, at the same time keen discrimination is exercised, so 
that while you see the choicest gems in the highest state of cultivation, 
weedy plants are extremely scarce; in fact, there are few plants en¬ 
couraged which may not well be included in all collections. We often 
