Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library: Botanical Exploration Papers

Memorandum of an Agreement made the eleventh twenty-seventh day of April of March 1899 between James Veitch and Sons Ltd. of the Royal Exotic Nursery, Kings Road, Chelsea in the County of Middlesex of the one part, and Ernest Henry Wilson of Llyswen Villa, Yardley Road, HayCock's Green near Birmingham in the County of Warwick of the other part

1 Ernest Henry Wilson agrees with James Veitch & Sons Ltd to proceed to China for a term of not more than three years for the purpose of collecting plants, bulbs, seeds and other objects of Natural History, the whole of which are to be collected for and sent to the said James Veitch & Sons Ltd and to no one else, as opportunities may offer.

2 James Veitch & Sons Ltd agree to place at the disposal of Ernest Henry Wilson the sum of £500 per annum for the expenses of the mission, for which he will be authorised to draw, as he may require, upon James Veitch & Sons Ltd through their Agents; this sum of £500 is not to be exceeded without the per-mission of the said James Veitch & Sons Ltd.

3 The above mentioned sum of £500 per annum shall include the yearly stipend of Ernest Henry Wilson which shall be at the rate of One hundred pounds for the first year, one hundred and twenty-five pounds for the second year, and one hundred and fifty pounds for

the third year, he finding his own wearing apparel; all other expenses connected with the mission and incurred with the approval of the said James Veitch & Sons Ltd shall be defrayed by them. Ernest Henry Wilson may may draw his salary or any part thereof while he is on his mission.

4 The said Ernest Henry Wilson will proceed to China via the United States, calling on Professor Sargent, the Director of the Arnold Arboretum near Boston Mass. en route. He will also, on arrival at Hongkong, call on Mr Charles Ford, the Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens there and then endeavour to communicate with Dr Henry as soon as possible according to the written instructions, He will acting on the advice of that gentleman as far as practicable, and following, as far as he may be able, the general written instructions received from {Messieurs} James Veitch & Sons Ltd previous to his leaving England. Ernest Henry Wilson will write to {Messieurs} James Veitch & Sons Ltd as soon as possible after arrival in China, informing them of the plans he has decided on adopting for the furtherance of the objects of the mission. He will constantly bear in mind that these objects are to procure trees and and plants and seeds of plants likely to prove hardy in this country.

5 The said Ernest Henry Wilson shall send all seeds, bulbous roots, and dried specimens

[right page] which he has collected by Steamer, and plants as often as possible also by Steamer, arranging with the Agents to insure the packages being promptly forwarded to England and always sending by by post Bills of Lading of every consignment shipped.

6 It is intended by this Agreement that Ernest Henry Wilson shall remain sufficiently long in China to gain experience of the different flowering and seed-saving seasons but he agrees to act in conformity with any instruc= =tions James Veitch & Sons may from time to time send to him. He also agrees to write to them not less frequently than monthly during the term of this Agreement inform=ing them of his proceedings, and at the termination of each year he shall make up and send to them a Balance Sheet of his accounts.

7 The said James Veitch & Sons Ltd shall be at liberty to recall Ernest Henry Wilson at any time during the term of three years herein agreed upon, and should the health of Ernest Henry Wilson give way at any time during the three years and he return to England under Medical Certificate, his expenses home shall be allowed him as if he had continued out the whole term.

The foregoing conditions mutually agreed upon and signed this twenty-seventh day of March 1899

EH Wilson James Veitch & Sons Ltd Witness Charles Hester

and there is work enough for a dozen collectors to do for the next twenty years. Of course my only idea would be to increase the knowledge of Chinese Trees and shrubs and I should expect to share anything I got with you. Although my plans are entirely unformed and probably will amount to nothing, I feel that I ought to mention the fact that I am thinking seriously about China as we have had so much correspondence together on the subject. I do not know if it is a part of your scheme for your man to dry herbarium specimens. Of course it would be a very useful thing if he could do this, making a set for Kew and, if possible, one for me of all woody plants.

Before finally making up your mind about the field to be occupied by your collector I advise you to read those parts of Bretschneider's book which relate to explorations of David and Henry. Delavay of course was in a region of unsurpassed richness and some of his plants appear to succeed in England and Paris, although we cannot do anything with them here.

I am ashamed to say there is no American in China among our consuls of any special intelligence or information to whom I could give Wilson a letter that would be of any service to him. If you have not already done so, I should try and obtain for him letters from Dr. Bretschneider, who can be addressed at the Botanic Garden in St. Petersburg. Letters to Sir Robert Hart from Mr. Chamberlain I should think would be of very great advantage. He no doubt could obtain for Wilson a good Chinese

passport, more readily perhaps even than the British Minister at Pekin to whom however Wilson ought to take letters from Mr. Chamberlain who will of course be much interested in this project. Bretschneider I fancy knows more Europeans in China than anyone else.

I write to day in a good deal of haste, but am

Faithfully Yours (signed) C. S. Sargent

James H. Veitch bq. King's Road Chelsea London England

396 48

April 29, 1931 E H Wilson

Wilson, Ernest Henry.

#1 Numerical list and description of seeds no. 1-1310 collected on his first expedition to China for {Misters} Veitch + sons, 1899-1901; field notes kept by E.H. Wilson. Vol. I.

#2 Numerical list and description of specimens no.1-2800 collected by E.H. Wilson on his first expedition to China for {Misters} Veitch + sons, 1899-1901; field notes kept by E.H. Wilson.

Vol. I.