You encourage me very much indeed by all you so kindly say, and I value your approval of my new book greatly, but I always feel, and I try to acknowledge, that the real usefulness of my work is derived from the kind co-operation I am allowed the benefit of. Just look at the Paris-green matter. I quite sheltered myself behind your name as an active referee. The good folks were hard of belief anyhow, but I really doubt if I could have driven the nail home without having you to fall back on. But for the pain that it could not fail to give, the history of our Evesham Committee’s work, and what we had to meet, would be a most interesting chapter, and at last we had perfect success!
I think I told you of the wonderfully diseased strawberry plants, looking more like pieces of cauliflowers placed on the ground than their own graceful forms. Dr. Ritzema Bos has found that this is from the presence of a Tylenchus (eel-worm) (figs. 47 and 49), hitherto undescribed, and is going to bring out a preliminary notice in November, and as some portion of the observations (not the scientific parts) were mine, he will kindly let me use what I need for my Report. He is a very kind colleague.
November 18, 1890.
My sister is delighted to send you two copies of her Hessian fly maggot diagram, which she hopes you will kindly accept. This, as she says, is “her first public appearance,” so she is rather anxious! But I have been doing my best to ensure her picture a good reception, and I revised it very carefully before it went out. I think you will like it. It should accompany this letter, but it comes so very near parcel post limitations of size that if it does not arrive please expect it shortly in a different travelling dress, by book post.
December 22, 1890.
For your collection you will, I think, like a regular letter of our good old Professor Westwood, but this is not in the least characteristic. He usually takes a postcard, and into it, by small writing, and adding in little bits where there is room, he gets in a surprising quantity of instructive matter. Mr. Meade’s letter you would perhaps care for, as he is one of our leading Dipterists—he is very kind to me in identifying whenever I ask him; and the letter from Mr. Hormuzd Rassam is a contribution from my sister. He was, I suppose, our greatest British explorer in Assyria (after Sir Henry Layard) and was for a long time one of the prisoners of King Theodore in Abyssinia (to liberate whom this country went to war). I am not sure whether you saw him when you were at Spring Grove, but he was a near neighbour, and when he went on his Assyrian trips used to leave his very charming wife, and untoward little flock of Chaldee children, in what he was pleased to call “our care.”
Many thanks to you for such gratifying notices of my Manual. They are only too kind, but it is very encouraging to have such approval, and very refreshing too, for sometimes I am nearly eaten up by anxiety.
I think the beneficial effect of Paris-green is quite established, and I hope that the use of it may spread widely next season; I fully believe that in it or in London-purple, lies the sole hope of keeping in check the crowds of miscellaneous kinds of moth caterpillars which appear with the leafage. In my fourteenth Report (that is, in the paper on orchard caterpillars which I am now preparing for it) I have tried to dwell with even tedious repetition on the points of the small quantity of the Paris-green to be used, and also the importance of the fluid being distributed as a mist or fine spray so as to coat the leaves, but on no account to be allowed to drip. Some of the good people seem to have an idea that they cannot have too much of a good thing, and results are dismal.
I am getting on as steadily as business allows with my new Manual. There are many new papers, and such subjects as Wireworm, Hop aphis, and others come out almost as new papers when the information which has been contributed piece-meal or in Special Reports, is sifted, and the information arranged in order. I am replacing figures that were not all that could be wished, with new ones. I am very anxious indeed to bring out what may be a really sound, up-to-date book, of our most important observations here. I think it will be about a quarter longer than my present edition, and “demy” instead of “crown” 8vo., so that it may be of comely form.
Economic Entomology is really doing better here. Our Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland are looking about for an Entomologist, and this is a good step. [Dr. Stewart MacDougall was appointed to fill the office.]