Dear Sir

In reading your very interesting work on “Fertilization of orchids you will I am sure excuse me in offering an opinion contra to that which you express in reference to the oppening of flowers—¹ From some experiment I made some years ago my impression is that when the anthers arise from the petals that the amputation of part of the petals effects the development of the pollen and as we well know that fertilization is followed by decay of the flower I fancy there is considerable connection between the flower & the production of the pollen & seed   I state this with defference as it needs much & careful attention &c before an opinion is stated; for we know how much we have all had to unlearn from mear fances having been stated so positively that they for a while have stoped further observations—being taken as authoritive—

If I am right then there would be an analogy between the vegetable & animal kingdom—

Nature taking so much & beautifll provision for the fertilization of the orchids yet seems to work vastly to no purpose when she produces so many 1000s of seeds but yet these form so extremely few plants—² This may indicate that like many other objects of nature they are in the slow progress of passing away— My notion of inter breeding is as M^r Jonas Webb with his sheep³ & Booths &c &c, with the short horns⁴ that within certain limits when there are certain strengths of constitution &c &c without any defect of healthy action that inter breeding combines the strength & other desired properties in the offspring but I quite think that it is a very small limit that this inter breeding can be carried without increasing some tendancy to deteriotion—⁵

My orange hose in hose polyanthus plants planted together have produced flowering seedlings this year as good hose in hose as the parent plant but of a lighter yellow colour— also the pollens fertilizing common polyanthus have produced some few good hose-in-hose the seedling varying in colour from yellow to that of the seed bearing plant— also the orange hose in hose fertilized by a large course & dark polyanthus (for the purpose of marking its effect upon the progeny) has resulted in some seedlings without any appearance of hose in hose but some hose in hose one of which the calyx is as perfectly changed as the mother plant but the colour & form of the flower almost precisely like the plant used as the father.⁶

I have also some seedlings from a cowslip which I fertilized with pollen from the polyanthus & altho some of the seedlings come cowslip some have come coloured but only a little enlarged in size of flower—⁷ I had not however planted them out of the seed place & therefore they not only flowered poorly but many did not do so at all

I met a man who has asses & mules to carry coals from Potto in Yorkshire up the Cleveland Hills & think he might have some knowledge of these dorsal marks with the bars across the legs of horses⁸   I learnt from him that he knew a bay pony which often breeding a mule bred ponies & these latter had the line along the back and the bars across the legs— I have sent a few observations to the field on this subject⁹ & the fact appears to me to present that the variation of species may be produced by this influence—left of the male of a different species upon the female— I have many young Ducks pure Aylesbury ducks & muscovy drakes but next year I intend breeding first from the aylesbury ducks & muscovy drake & then breeding from the same ducks with an aylsbury drake, to see if the other progeny of these ducks the products of eggs obtained after the intercourse with the muscovy vary from the pure aylesbury—and to what extent this influence may have upon the descent of these ducks

The recent work upon the horse by the Editor of the field¹⁰ points out that the Americal trotting breed is a pure bred English racer only the taste & ⁠⟨⁠the⁠⟩⁠ adaptation of the Country made trotting races preferable to the galloping ones of this country & therefore selection to breed for trotting was followed & has produced so much a superior trotting breed¹¹ Norfolk was well known for a certain breed of trotters & this arose from that County being a great breeder of poultry for the London market which ⁠⟨⁠it⁠⟩⁠ was desirable to deliver fresh & thus the practice of sending it up in vans ⁠⟨⁠&c⁠⟩⁠ drawn by trotting horses begetting a want for trotters and they were thus produced

—The Editor of the field also in his work upon the dog gives product of the dogs bred between the Grey Hound & bull dog with the descendants¹²

I shall I hope give more minute particulars of the results of my polyanthus in the Journal of Horticulture shortly.¹³ I am strongly inclined to concur with you in your paper upon the fertilization of the poly⁠⟨⁠anthus⁠⟩⁠¹⁴ and did intend to have ⁠⟨⁠carried⁠⟩⁠ out some experiments this ye⁠⟨⁠ar⁠⟩⁠ for altho I am in wonderfully productive cowslip locality yet it is a little too high for my other objects & I am looking out for an estate to build upon for myself—& I am afraid I could not carefully pursue such experiments¹⁵   In my cowslip seedlings some have come quite as cowslips altho the plant was grown in the garden & may have been impregnated from pollen from the fields— This plant is strongly endowed with an idiosyncrasy which may ⁠⟨⁠make⁠⟩⁠ it not such a ready seeder if shaded by net— I would prefer that a plant should be obtained with a large ball just coming into flower from the Lowlands taken to a warm muck in the hills & then made the object of the experiments as the cowslip grows better upon our hills but are much later in flowering & so would be free from any interference from other plants growing perhaps within a radius of miles & in early spring bees &c are not likely to come from the warm shelter of the low lying lands to the cold & windy hills—

I fear I tire you so beg to remain Yours truly | W Woo⁠⟨⁠ler⁠⟩⁠

C Darwin Esq | am FRS