Dear Sir

Allow me to thank you heartily for the advice you have kindly given in your esteemed favor of yesterday which came duly to hand this morning.¹

I have no doubt that one may be much misled by the results of a few experiments in matters on which so many opposing forces come into play. I have now 23 plants of Lychnis Githago from the seeds of a single capsule which I sowed in a row last November.² I mean to note the day when each of them shall come into flower and will make the results a basis for future experiments. I have chosen that plant as being more manageable than many others though perhaps less variable and suppose that the results I shall obtain will throw light on the variations of Dianthus and other Caryophyllaceæ.³

In the autumn of 1873 I cut a cabbage which proving very tender when cooked I resolved on sowing seed from the plant which I accordingly did and finding a few seeds ripe in the middle of August 1874 I sowed them at once but was disappointed at finding that they had been spoiled apparently by the pollen of Borecole⁴ and that the leaves were very rough   One of the plants started into flower the first thing in the spring notwithstanding the lateness of the time of sowing. I should have attributed the precocity to the flowers having been crossed but that some seedling plants of Portugal cabbage raised in like manner from seed sown immediately on its ripening in August 1875, blossomed in the spring of 1876 when the plants were no larger than a 10 week stock: which makes me think that the seed first ripened produces plants that will make haste to flower and in the course of several generations would probably give origin to annual plants instead of perennials. Annual and perennial species being frequently found in the same genus. I should imagine the perennial to be the original form.

Wishing you yet many years of active and happy life | I remain | Dear Sir | yours very respectfully | John Gibbs

To | C. Darwin Esq^re.