Written from Royal Gardens, Kew. Manuscript, in a different hand, signed by Jos. D. Hooker [Joseph Dalton Hooker]
He envies Maw's expeditions; Maw will soon have one of the best herbaceous collections in the country; Corsica [France] is very interesting and should be healthy in February; Mrs Hooker tells him that there is a chapter on Corsica in 'Mentone and the Riviera' by Dr Bennet ['Contributions to the flora of Mentone' to which Alfred William Bennett contributed] which he will send if Maw has not read it; he offers to send someone down to overhaul some of Maw's alpines next season, and hopes Maw will visit them to do the same; he will send Maw a list of the Gibraltar species Kew has received from him; the Umbilicus is the Sedum-like plant Maw alludes to, and he will write to the publisher to get a plate of it for him; they are very busy creating the new herbaceous ground and removing the houses that stood on it