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Delighted with receiving letter from Celia and hearing her homely gossip. Goes touring and camping in the mountains. On return, describes trying to paint a primula in his tent-door, holding an umbrella with a dense fog of midges and smoke around. Saw great snowy trumpet-lilies on steep brackened hillsides when tramping the long leagues back. Describes the cook getting drunk, falling over a cliff, injuring himself & a pleasant Scotch youth with the staggers, called Jumps [Euan H.M. Cox] taking over- making astonishing concoctions with the jam of little wild white strawberries. ‘And yet it was delightful, the solemn enormous loneliness of the heights, & the silence & the invariable alpine feeling of clean peace & remoteness.’
Celia's letters awaiting him on return from camping where he saw golden anemones beside a babbling beck & hearing black mother bears roaring after their babies among the bamboos. Writes of Celia's daughters marrying, suggests Cynthia one of them, might become his wife, Mrs Me. Suggests Celia will be free to visit him in Peking or Rangoon in late 1920, 1921 to view various sites and shopping together, aware these are lovely fantasies. Enquires about the Beautiful Young Man? [Milner?] Describes how the coolie-porters danced and sang folksongs by the campfire, a genuine art of wild hill people.
Replies to Celia's letter expressing concern about her being taken to pieces on Freudian lines will change her. Writes how he is about to go somewhere remote for eight months, alone, unlikely to get post often and sees it as heroic. Writes of firming up plans to meet Celia & Cynthia in Rangoon. Comments about Marjorie's marriage. At end of letter, writes of his money troubles, his allowance of £1000 having halved in value due to rise in Rupee - notes cost of mules up country will be £300. Needs more shareholders for seeds and asks her to find any wealthy acquaintances who might be interested in a share in seeds of new trees, shrubs & flowers.
Writes of his uncertainty of their friendship, returning to life in London, parties, insufficient money to live in London (plans to come up to London to judge at the RHS, a few days a fortnight) Speaks of being happy and viewing this year as period of wonderful growth & realisation and refreshment. Enquires about Celia's re-constructions with Freud's representative, hopes he still remains present. ‘My happiness remains waterproof.’
Letter from Sir William Gibson Craig to John Hutton Balfour dated 26 September 1851 regarding Balfour's application to the Treasury for more funding for the Botanic Garden: "My dear Sir, Your demands for the Botanical Garden seem to grow as fast as your Palms- I shall see Lord Seymour tomorrow and do all I can to induce him to deal liberally with your application"
Letter from Lord Elcho to John Hutton Balfour dated 5 November 1853; "Sir, Before leaving Scotland I rec'd your letter and enclosures on the subject of the Palm House in the Royal Botanical Garden - I saw Sir W. Molesworth yesterday and impressed upon him the importance of speedily attending to it and I hope that some steps will be taken to rescue the Palms from the fate that awaits them should nothing be done."
Letter from Lord Roslyn to John Hutton Balfour dated 4 July 1859 regarding potentially moving the Conservatory of the late Thomas Assheton Smith at Tedworth [Tidworth] near Andover to the Botanic Garden.
Edinburgh School of Gardening, Corstorphine, List of rock plants for sale (1929) Covering letter from Dr. W.M. McIntyre, dated 21st July 1985 to Librarian, RBGE offering the 'Plant List' for addition to the library's collections. Further note from Dr. McIntyre, dated 29 July 1985, acknowledging the catalogue's acceptance and receipt of a photocopy of said item for his own use.