My dear Sir,

I would not dream of asking you to ask Mr Farrer to take any step which he did not himself wish to take.¹

In writing to Mr Forster, and explaining to him the interest you take in the work, and your kindness in assisting me, and in inducing Mr Farrer and Mr Caird and others to assist me, could you confer the further great favour of permitting me to quote that part of your letter to Mr Farrer on this subject (and of which you permitted me to take a copy) in which you state that “Mr Torbitt’s plan of resisting the potato disease seems to me by far the best that has ever been suggested”—consisting as it does in—“raising a vast number of seedlings from cross-fertilized parents, subjecting them to infection, destroying those which suffer, saving those which resist best, and repeating the process in successive seminal generations” and could you also permit me to quote your letters to myself wherein you state that “I have remarked to Mr Farrer what a national misfortune it would be if you were compelled to throw up the work” and the last in which you say “if I were a minister of the Crown, I would think it my duty to adopt some such plan as you suggest”—that plan being Governmental assistance in the production and distribution of cross-bred varieties of the plant—²

I do not at all know if you can permit me to quote you thus, or in some modified form, but if you can, I should think the matter must be investigated and then let it stand on its own merits.

I should be quite ready to simplify my scheme and work on, on almost any terms which would secure an advance of cash next spring, sufficient to grow new varieties upon an extended scale.

I imagine that some of the Agricultural societies might be induced to receive the new varieties and distribute them amongst their subscribers, but I would not again attempt to interest the society with which Mr Carruthers is connected.³

This years seedlings are now planted out and are growing healthily, as are the plants for crossing, and the 6 acres new vars. The 14 acres which are being grown, one half the produce to be mine, or ours rather, free of cost, I have not yet heard about.⁴

I am distressed by trespassing so far on your invaluable time but there seems no help for it.

I remain my dear Sir | most respectfully and faithfully | James Torbitt

I see Major Nolan’s committee on the potato Disease has been reappointed, but I have not heard from him, although last session Mr Cave late M.P. for Barnstaple wrote to him, strongly advising him to have my evidence.⁵