I have your letter of 7th inst.

You seem to have been fortunate at Kew and the information obtained by observation as well {as} verbally must be very valuable—more valuable, especially if you have taken abundant close notes of it, than you yet realize I suspect. It should help you, with judicious bearing on your part, to a position of much higher importance in the determination of details of the Biltmore Arboretum than you would otherwise have.

Great care and tact should be used to get such reconciliation as is [959]possible between our office and Profr. Sargent. A good deal may turn on the tact which you use in letting Profr Sargent know that on the points upon which he has differed with us Mr Nicholson is with us. Try to manage this skillfully and gracefully, so that Sargent will not suspect that you distinctly recognize that there is a difference, or that we are deciding a question against his advice. This might best be done in the form of some report to the office which could be sent to Profr Sargent. As to the essential question between us and Profr Sargent, as I understand it. I am firm but it would be best to avoid making a distinct issue with him if possible. As to Robinson, it seems to me that we are aiming at his ideal as far as that ideal is at all practicable.

You should; I presume that you have; taken exact notes on many points of detail that you do not refer to. Of high importance among the matters of lesser importance, for instance, is the question of labels, and how to procure the best. Restudy & amend if you can your notes on this matter.

We have so much space at our disposal that when it comes to the actual setting out on the ground of the position of all the trees, adjustments can be made fully realizing the idealistic suggestions of Robinson without marring the integrity of the main plan for that purpose. Bye and bye you can write to Robinson making this plain to him.

Make as much of this visit to Kew and of your discussions with the Kew men and with Robinson and of such as you shall have with André, in your reports to the office as you reasonably can. Aim as far as is reasonable to get the direction of the Arboretum planning and work into your own hands. Feel that it is your affair. And without presumption or pressing, do what {you} can to make your influence felt in all of the work. You shd, after these experiences—these occasions for reflection and reflection; of discussion with such men as you have been seeing and as you will see in Paris—be able, without forcing yourself obtrusively or exciting unconscious, much less conscious, jealousies, to make the Biltmore Arboretum your own affair in a peculiar sense. With tact you will get Beadle and Manning, as well as John and Eliot to take your views of it. And you will be able, after these experiences and discussions to form the soundest views on all details. It is a very great satisfaction to me to feel that it is so; that you will be able to secure justice for an opportunity of serving the world so invaluable. It is a most fortunate circumstance that you are able at just this juncture to have this opportunity to review and reconsider and help to perfect the detail of the plan with regard to the experience & the great amount of study that must have been given to the subject at Kew & such comments and criticisms & suggestions as you must have been able to pick up from the Kew people, from Robinson & from André and others whom you may be able to see in Paris.

I had more to write but my keeper, who, under Dr Rainer’s direction, is always after me with a sharp stick, is calling and I must close. Be diligent in observation, and then, while on board ship, be diligent in reflection & study upon what you have observed, and industrious in making notes. Notes not only [960]of what you have seen but upon it—with reference to your future professional duties. My keeper calls me off—God be with you.