State Library of NSW
[Page 231]
to have two correspondents in Sydney N.S. Wales that from Moon being at the Botanic Gardens in Sydney, it was more convenient to be in communication with him. He spoke of the great trouble he was put in getting plants conveyed in [indecipherable] cases from Colombo to Galle. (There is a railway from Kandy to the former place.) I do not know that you lose much as the [indecipherable] Fern is of too Tropical a character for you, while Ceylon as you know is singularly for such a climate, poor in the way of Orchids & other parasites.
Of Hooker I may say "[indecipherable] lauteum". I saw him for a few seconds only at the Athenaeum. I went out to Kew the first day I could spare the time but he was in London. Before the next mail I will have arranged with him for another supply of Orchids for your House. Veitch I have not seen [indecipherable] but have been in communication with. He tells me that many plants of [indecipherable] "Envoi" were dead. From my experience of these matters, when plants are found dead, it is not the fault of the shipper but of the officers of the Ships, who whenever they find that there is no one on board interested in the well being of the case, put it down below in
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