Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], to Professor Isaac Bayley Balfour M.D., 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, dated 25 September 1906.
Forrest writes enclosing three prints of a species of primula discovered on the Lichiang [Lijiang] range [Yulong Xue Shan], with detailed description of the plant. Photograph IV is of a plant which he cannot place, and V is of a species of cypripedium. Gives detailed descriptions of both. Forrest also encloses some small specimens of primula, saxifrage and delphinium. This season he has secured from 20-30 species of both saxifrage and primula. ‘I could write much on the flowers I have seen and collected this season but I am so weak through my prolonged illness, that I have neither the heart nor the strength to do so. Besides it is such a long time since I received a letter from you, 10 months, that I am led to infer you have lost all interest in my wanderings and collecting, therefore you will pardon me if I make this my last communication before my departure for home.’
Plants referenced: Cypripedium; Delphinium; Pine; Primula; Saxifrage
Photographs referenced: I. Group of primula –Lichiang range; II. Flowering head of primula; III. Mass of primula plants in situ; IV. Unidentified plant; V. Cypripedium?
Letter has been badly fire damaged with some loss, including of text; as it is a large folded letter, there is a photocopy in the binder alongside which should be used to enable reading the text inside.

•Correspondence dated 1912 -1913 on “Primula”, filed with subject material under “Primula”, Box 1 in main index

• GB 235 JJT/1: Index to Botanical References & Publications – Foolscap Book “Army Book 72”: alphabetical indexed ledger, ms. entries and ms. and typescript loose sheets (includes ms. notes to RK, William Wright Smith, on botanical references, and typescript note from W. W. Smith, 1931–1937,) 1927. Index includes lists of bibliographic references to monographs and scholarly journals, with 6 pp. listing County Reports of Scotland (1794 to 1814) and England (1794 to 1815).
• GB 235 JJT/2: “Index to Rhododendrons & Primulas”: alphabetical indexed ledger, ms. entries and ms. and typescript loose sheets (includes misc. plant notes, typescript List of Works on Primulas, and ms. list of rhododendrons), 1923.
• GB 235 JJT/3: “Index to Scottish Botanists” in “The Portland Letter File”: alphabetical indexed ledger, with ms. loose sheets, Note inserted in file: “It is quite possible that this was compiled by Mr J T Johnstone, RBG Librarian. DMH [Douglas Henderson], 1973.”

Above material, apparently prepared and used as personal reference source by J. T. Johnston, Librarian of RBGE 1912-46 and are filed under “Johnston, J.T. (Librarian)” – in individual box

68 typed foolscap pages in a clutch folder belonging to John D. Main on the Genus Primula, Synonyms of the Genus Primula from other Genera, Species and Synonyms of the Genus Primula and Primula Synonymy. Possible course notes?
On the front is 'J.D. Main' and 'Primula' in Dymo tape.
John D. Main was a student at RBGE before becoming Head of Horticulture.

This collection consists of material created and gathered from the expeditions of F. Ludlow and G. Sherriff, thought their expeditions of Bhutan and Tibet during 1933-1949.

The collection consists of 5 sub-series: plant documents, expedition documents, diaries, correspondence and visual material.

[1] This series consists of a variety of material which includes plant and seed lists from their expedition with a large focus on Primula, Meconopsis and Rhododendrons, as well as publications gathered by Ludlow and Sherriff which cover their shared interest in the Himalayan region and it's flora and fauna. There is also a garden register donated by the Knox Finlay family detailing the progress of plants/seeds in their gardens acquired from various expeditions including Ludlow and Sherriff's between 1951-52.

[2] This series consists of a variety of expedition documents ranging from itineraries and maps to administration lists and passports.

[3] This series consists of originals and photocopies of the diaries of Sherriff and Ludlow during their expeditions.

[4] This series consists of a variety of correspondence from and to Sherriff and Ludlow over the course of their expeditions.

[5] This series consists of a variety of material including: photographic material, films and videos. Photographic material ranges from prints and negatives taken by Sherriff and Ludlow to prints of digital images taken as exhibition documentation in 2014. The films are..... There have been dvd surrogates made of the films to ensure continued accessibility.

•Box containing miscellaneous notes and papers (Source: Balfour, Smith and Fletcher Reference Collection)
•Box containing bound Reference Books (Source: Balfour, Smith and Fletcher Reference Collection)
•Box containing British Reprints (Source: Balfour, Smith and Fletcher Reference Collection)
•Box containing Foreign Reprints – ‘A-Q’ (Source: Balfour, Smith and Fletcher Reference Collection)
•Box containing Foreign Reprints – ‘R-Z’ (Source: Balfour, Smith and Fletcher Reference Collection)
•Box containing Primula Conference Reports: 1886, 1913 and 1928 (Source: Balfour, Smith and Fletcher Reference Collection)
•Box containing ‘The Genus Primula Gardener’s Chronicle’ (1928)
•Box containing ‘The Genus Primula’ – Typescript Papers: ‘A-E’
•Box containing ‘The Genus Primula’ – Typescript Papers: ‘F-N’
•Box containing ‘The Genus Primula’ – Typescript Papers: ‘O-Z’
•Box containing miscellaneous photographs
•Box containing a bound collection of photographs with an index
•Box containing miscellaneous photographs – Sherriff reprints by R. Adam and the Royal Horticultural Society. Etc.
•Box containing misc photographs – reprints by R.M. Adam and photos by R. Eudall
Primula/ Ludlow
•Collection of books, papers, reprints, Photographs, etc. on PRIMULA; apparently used, and added to, in succession by I.B. Balfour, W.W. Smith & H.R. Fletcher, is filed in boxes under “Primula” in Main Index
•Papers/reprints include material by I.B. Balfour, W.G. Craib, A Ernst, G. Forrest, R. Farrer, Ludlow & Sherriff (photographs), John MacWatt, W.W. Smith, F. Kingdon Ward, G. Watt, Per Wendelbo, et al.

Letter from George Forrest, China Inland Mission, Talifu [Dali], Yunnan, to Isaac Bayley Balfour, 'Regius Keeper', Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, dated 07 April 1905.
Forrest writes to apologise that he can only muster 105 specimens but promises he will have done better by his return to Talifu next January [1906]. By next mail will send two photographs of plants, one a primula and one a fumaria.
Plants referenced: Fumaria; Primula