My dear Romanes

I came up here yesterday to be examined by vivisection Commissioners, but return home today & hope soon to receive the carrots.² I do not think there will be a chance to get the plant to seed during the winter. I will enquire & read up; I sh^d think the roots ought to be kept as dormant as possible all winter & then start them in spring out of doors. The mere diffusion of colour from side to side though curious does not seem to me very important. If the seed w^d yield white & red or mottled carrots it w^d be grand— I hope you have got pure seeds of the 2 grafted kind to sow at the same time.³

I saw for $\frac{1}{2}$ hour B. Sanderson⁴ & he is the first man who seemed to me to appreciate physiological importance of [fixing] graft-Hybrids. He told me a little about the medusæ— I do not yet fully understand the case, but enough to see that you have done splendid work & I most heartily congratulate you.—⁵

Your papers in Nature, especially the last is most curious & amused & interested us all greatly, I never read anything funnier than about the ferrets.—⁶ It is also very important. It is too late about the sternums, but I did add a note giving your belief.—⁷ You shall hear when I have seen carrots

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin