Summary

T. H. Farrer has talked to James Caird. He believes Royal Agricultural Society will cultivate JT’s seeds. CD pledges £100 for JT’s own experiments.

Summary

THF would do a good deal if he gets Agricultural Society to rear cross-fertilised seeds. Society excellent channel for distribution of fungus-proof variety [of potato]. If James Torbitt will carry on work another year, CD will offer him £100.

Summary

Describes James Torbitt’s plan for producing disease-resistant potato varieties. [Letter is an earlier version of 11406.]

Summary

His attempts to obtain a Government grant for Torbitt seem hopeless.

CD is suffering from constant swimming of the head.

Summary

Supports Torbitt. Keenly aware of danger of growing crops from a single variety. Torbitt’s paper to Belfast BAAS meeting ["On the potato-disease", Rep. BAAS 44 (1874): 134] was sat upon.

Summary

Hopes to visit [Sara and William] later in the year.

Summary

Describes a post-mortem dissection of a chimpanzee’s brain. The several doctors who observed it were struck by its resemblance to the human brain.

Summary

Thanks for letter. Comments on SBJS’s research on Palaeolithic flint tools.

Summary

Concerns [James] Torbitt’s potato plants and the question of their trial by the Experimental Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society and a request to the Government for the needed expense. THF and CD to set a date for consultation with the botanist [William] Carruthers.

Summary

Thanks CD for his expression of interest in SBJS’s work. His researches on the age and divisions of the Palaeolithic period will be published soon by the Geological Survey [On the manufacture of gun-flints, the methods of excavating for flint, the age of Palaeolithic man, etc. (1879)].

Summary

Returns CD’s letter [11389] of which he has kept a copy.

Summary

Agricultural Society will not do potato experiments. Torbitt telegraphs that seeds to be sown tomorrow. Memorial with a few signatures might get grant from Government. Hooker believes plan the right one.

Summary

Has been poorly.

Comments on goose with abnormal wing.

Summary

No use in thinking about Royal Agricultural Society. William Carruthers, botanist of Society, thinks attempt hopeless. T. H. Farrer and James Caird are thinking of application to Government. Makes suggestions about experiments [on potatoes].

Summary

Thanks ASW for Aegilops seed.

Summary

Forwards letter from James Caird concerning funds for potato experiments. CD will correct his letter to THF [11389] and then forward it to Hooker for his opinion.

Summary

Thanks for essays by ASW ["Experiments with turnip seeds", Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 13 (1876–9): 25–39, and a short notice, "Experiments in singling turnips"] and Aegilops seed.

Summary

Problems of continuing with his crossing experiments; financial help from CD.

Summary

As a believer in the existence of God from the evidence of nature, he is somewhat staggered by CD’s and Tyndall’s books. Asks CD to tell him whether the doctrine of descent of man destroys the evidence of the existence of a God looked at through natural phenomena.

Summary

CD’s gardener says not to sow onion seeds until middle of March. Should he risk sowing them at once?