From John Denny 12 July 1872
Stoke Newington
July 12th. 1872
Dear Sir
Thinking you might be interested in the subject I endeavoured to treat of I took the liberty of forwarding you my paper.1
In reply to your queries, the Duke of Cornwall Pelargonium is fertile with its own pollen.
With regard to the Ivy leaved sections, I have repeatedly tried to fertilize other varieties besides Peltatum Elegans, but have invariably failed to do so.2
Others besides myself have (of late) obtained hybrids from Peltatum Elegans, but have also failed to do so from other varieties
Mr. Grieve has succeeded in obtaining a golden variegation in the foliage of Peltatum Elegans, by employing the pollen of a gold & bronze bi-color.3
To ascertain whether the transmittance of character, under certain conditions, differs in different families of plants, requires the accumulation of data my paper advocates; and for this object, as well as for the discussion of the subject, of the influence of parentage, in all its branches, and bearings, I should like to see a really working society formed.
I have not seen Gärtners works, & I fear they are in German.4
My experiments upon the Pelargoniums have been conducted with more than ordinary care, & that you may be able to judge of this fact, I take the further liberty of forwarding you a number or two of “The Florist”, which contain a detailed account of my mode of procedure.5
I am just now endeavouring to fertilize Peltatum Elegans with the pollen of the wild blue geranium, & there are signs of my having succeeded but which I fear are but delusive; to succeed in such a cross would be most interesting6
From Chiswick I have received a communication informing me, that in a number of seedling grapes raised—from careful cross-fertilization, my theory of the pre-potence of the male parent—is fully borne out.7
I have also received other interesting communications upon the subject of my paper.8
In Orchids I think you have carried out a series of experiments,—& therefore could give us some valuable information.9
I shall continue my experiments on the Pelargonium—& if time, upon other flowers, & should be happy with your permission to inform you of any results that appear to me worthy of special notice.
Thanking you for your note, | Believe me to remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | John Denny
P.S. There is no need to return the numbers of the Florist
Footnotes
Bibliography
Fletcher, Harold R. 1969. The story of the Royal Horticultural Society 1804–1968. London: Oxford University Press for the Royal Horticultural Society.
Gärtner, Karl Friedrich von. 1844. Versuche und Beobachtungen über die Befruchtungsorgane der vollkommeneren Gewächse und über die natürliche und künstliche Befruchtung durch den eigenen Pollen. Pt 1 of Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Befruchtung der vollkommeneren Gewächse. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart.
Gärtner, Karl Friedrich von. 1849. Versuche und Beobachtungen über die Bastarderzeugung im Pflanzenreich. Mit Hinweisung auf die ähnlichen Erscheinungen im Thierreiche, ganz umgearbeitete und sehr vermehrte Ausgabe der von der Königlich holländischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart.
Miller, Diana. 1996. Pelargoniums: a gardener’s guide to the species and their cultivars and hybrids. London: B. T. Batsford.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
Webb, William J. 1984. The Pelargonium family: the species Pelargonium, Monsonia, and Sarcocaulon. London and Dover, N.H.: Croom Helm.
Wilkinson, Anne. 2007. The passion for pelargoniums: how they found their place in the garden. Stroud: Sutton Publishing.
Summary
Replies to CD’s queries. Duke of Cornwall Pelargonium is fertile with its own pollen. Has failed to produce hybrids from other varieties besides P. peltatum and P. elegans. Sends numbers of the Florist which contain an account of his mode of procedure ["On cross-breeding pelargoniums" Florist & Pomologist (1872): 10, 34, 50].
Reports a confirmation of his theory of the prepotence of the male parent.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8407
- From
- John Denny
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Stoke Newington
- Source of text
- DAR 162: 159
- Physical description
- ALS 8pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8407,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8407.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 20