To J. D. Hooker 23 June [1862]1
Down Bromley Kent
June 23d
My dear Hooker
Thank you for telling me about Mrs Hooker & yourself, which was just what I wanted to hear.2 How hard-worked you are; do not stretch the string too much; I most cordially hope you may soon get a holiday right away from Kew.— I am sure I have lately agreed with you that it is a weary world: we have had lots of sickness (thank God the Scarlet F. did not turn out bad)3 & I have been extra bad with violent skin inflammation— I have done hardly anything lately, except just to attend to my experiments.— I have tried over again Primula crosses & former results most fully verifyed & some very curious facts on the sterility of the homomorphic seedlings.4 Did you see the review of my Orchis Book in London R. By Jove it was too strong & made me feel modest & that was a wonderful feeling. I wonder who wrote it.5 I have had several letters from Asa Gray, who seems about as much infatuated over orchids, as I have been.—6
I asked Emma about a cook; but she knew no one whom she could recommend. I do hope your household will soon be comfortable; but I long to hear of your starting somewhere.—7
This is a very dull letter; but my hands are burning as if dipped in hell-fire.—
Good Night my dear old fellow.— | C. Darwin
William enjoyed his visit to you.—8
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Cross and self fertilisation: The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1876.
‘Dimorphic condition in Primula’: On the two forms, or dimorphic condition, in the species of Primula, and on their remarkable sexual relations. By Charles Darwin. [Read 21 November 1861.] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Botany) 6 (1862): 77–96. [Collected papers 2: 45–63.]
‘Illegitimate offspring of dimorphic and trimorphic plants’: On the character and hybrid-like nature of the offspring from the illegitimate unions of dimorphic and trimorphic plants. By Charles Darwin. [Read 20 February 1868.] Journal of the Linnean Society of London (Botany) 10 (1869): 393–437.
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.
Summary
Has been ill (violent skin inflammation).
Has done hardly anything except tend to his experiments. Repeating Primula work has verified former results and very curious facts on sterility of homomorphic seedlings.
Wonders who reviewed Orchids for London Review & Wkly J. Polit..
Asa Gray also infatuated with Orchids.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3620
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 115: 156
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3620,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3620.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10