I had great pleasure in receiving your letter of the 12th of October, and first of all I will try to reply so far as I am able about the Boot beetle, Anobium paniceum. The English manufacturers did what is so very inconvenient—though one is not surprised at it—they begged that their names and localities might not be mentioned. But with regard to the use of a deterrent paste (or mixture in the paste), it was quite plain that they did not mean to do anything. They spoke of difficulties to the workers, &c., and as to using Paris-green!—really, there would have been a disturbance indeed, if I had ventured to suggest such a thing. The subject appeared to be making no headway, and my suggestions as to the all-importance of cleanliness in the workshop, so that the beetles might have no harbouring places, did not meet their views. So I strongly advised in order to make sure whether the infestation took possession in this country or at the Cape, that some boots should be packed up and properly secured against all possibilities of external infestation, and sent to South Africa, and on arrival there, sent back to the exporters here unopened. Thus we should have learned on examination, if they were infested, that the mischief was started in this country. But not one word on the subject have I had from them since. Perhaps the result put the locality of the origin of evil being in this country beyond doubt. I have kept a quantity of the letters on the subject laid away, but now I think I cannot use them to better purpose than by forwarding them to you. Please do not return them. I have not re-read them, but it is impossible there can be anything confidential in them, excepting the names of the firms which the writers did not wish published, and it is just possible (in case you can spare time to run them through) that there may be points of interest.
What you say of inertness is just what is such a drag on the advance of work here. Instead of getting information, and acting on it, they (or many) propose to write to the Board of Agriculture or possibly to another quarter, and sometimes they follow advice, sometimes they do not.
Just now I had an application about Strongylus filaria (thread worms which produce husk or hoose) which is doing great damage in one district. They thought of writing to the Board of Agriculture. I suggested the excellent account in your Dr. Curtice’s book on “Sheep Diseases,” but it did not appear to have occurred to them to teach themselves.
June 24, 1896.
It was with great pleasure that I received your first Report about two days ago, and I must both very sincerely and heartily congratulate you on this good work. It seems to me quite an example of what a report should be. Clear wording that all can understand, and a short sound life history, with all requisite means of prevention of the specially detailed “pest” attacks, with a deal of excellent reading besides. Indeed, I congratulate you greatly on taking your place so firmly, and I consider the Colony is much to be congratulated also on securing your help. I am glad to see that the Government gives you good paper and printing. There is only one thing which I should much like to see added, and that is pictorial illustrations. Could not you have at least some figures? I believe they are available in the Government Stores. Sometime after the publication of my little book on the “Injurious Insects of South Africa,” a request was made to me for a number of figures, which with much pleasure I presented. If you would like, besides those which could be looked up at the office of the “Agricultural Journal,” electros of some of the figures which are my own, which I use in my own publications, I would gladly send you out, say a dozen or a dozen and a half, if the Agent General would (as I feel pretty sure he would) kindly allow me to send them out to you in the Government box. It would give me real pleasure if I could be of any help to you in your good work.
August 17, 1896.
I have this morning had great pleasure in receiving your letter, and I shall be very glad to send you electrotypes of the blocks of which you will let me have a list,—that is to say, of such as are quite my own. Those that I have from Messrs. Blackie and Son, Stanhope Street, Glasgow, I have only permission to use in my own publications. I think very likely, though, that, if you were inclined to purchase electrotypes from them, they would be quite willing to let you have them at the same price which they charge me, that is eighteenpence the square inch. About my own, I have no difficulties, as my wood figures and electrotypes are all in charge of my printers. There would be no charge for carriage, and I would charge you just the cost price of the electros. But there is one point, please, that I am sure you will forgive me insisting on as a condition of use of my electrotypes, namely, that they may be used in any publication of the Department of Agriculture of Cape Colony, or in any publication of your own, but nowhere else without my consent.
July 28, 1899.
I have, I am afraid, been owing you for a long time, more than one letter in reciprocation of your kind letters to me, but I have hoped you would forgive me, for you know how I am situated with a deal of application and no staff. I am wanting now to say that I hope you have not been vexed with me for having had a hand in robbing you of an efficient member of your staff (Mr. Fuller), which I am afraid must for the present be an inconvenience, but it surely will be an immense benefit to Natal, to have a trustworthy Entomologist.
I am trying to work up Piophila casei (Cheese and Bacon fly), which Miss Murtfeldt took up so well. I incline to think that it is more present than is supposed, only of course, “cured meat” dealers do not like to own to it. I have got a nice little family reared from bacon for observation under a glass, and some of their brothers and sisters loose about the room, which I see little or nothing of until the cheese is brought in twice a day, when they come, and so give me an opportunity of watching egg-laying.