From James Torbitt 8 October 1878
Belfast
8 Octr 1878
Charles Darwin Esqr | Down
My dear Sir
(please do not reply)
Enclosed I have the pleasure to send you Mr Kennedy’s report. The estate is situated on Clew Bay and reaches from the shore four miles inland.1
He has missed the point of my enquiry which was, does or or does not, the potato grow as well on your estate in the West of Ireland as it does here in the East. He has not called today but on his return I shall have his reply.
In two weeks I hope to be able to make my own report, and to reply to your kind letter of 28th. June last.2 Meantime in so far as I may presume to form an opinion I think it quite possible that varieties of the potato may be found into the plants of which the parasite will be unable to penetrate so far as the tuber.
I am My dear Sir with profound respect faithfully yours J. Torbitt
[Enclosure]
Clonard House, Belfast.
7 Octr 78
Dear Mr. Torbitt
I am sorry I cannot give a very good account of the seed potatoes. I planted one sort in my own land, I think the variety you said wd. be so prolific, they produced a large crop but when I examined them last week at least one fourth were decayed. The other kinds I distributed among about 80 of my tenants, I have not heard the result from all, but several have assured me that they are diseased. So far as I can make out they are not so much diseased as their old seed and the produce from them is larger.3
I am going from home tomorrow for a few weeks but if I can find time will call at yr office and have a chat with you.
Yours truly | Victor. C. Kennedy
James Torbitt Eqr.
Footnotes
Summary
Forwards letter from Victor Kennedy reporting on the growth of JT’s potatoes in W. Ireland.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11721
- From
- James Torbitt
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Belfast
- Source of text
- DAR 178: 148
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp, encl ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11721,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11721.xml