Veitch, James Herbert (1868 - 1907)

Eldest son of John Gould Veitch of the English Veitch nursery dynasty.

Undertook a joint plant collecting expedition with Arnold Arboretum to Japan in 1892, then came to Australia in 1893. However he found Australia disappointing and wrote that it was easier to collect seed in Japan where there was cheap labour; in Australia 'no one will help'. He complained that the seeds of many plants 'were so tiny he did not know if he was collecting seed or dust'.

He sent to Kew a collection of dried specimens of 250 species from Western Australia. Later he visited the north island of New Zealand. He left New Zealand for England in July 1893, and soon after was made managing director of the Veitch family nursery business.

Source: Shephard, Sue (2003) 'Seeds of Fortune, a gardening dynasty' Bloomsbury, UK