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Show moreLetter from Charles Darwin to unknown. Letter about Hollyhocks, describing the results of an experiment. Letter, signed by sender. Sent from Down, Bromley, Kent. Transcription: "My dear Sir, I am extremely much obliged to you for so kindly writing to me & offering me information. I have long been curious about Hollyhocks.— The Dean of Manchester told me that some kinds came true, even when growing near others. This surprised me greatly, as it can be shown to be almost certain that every flower must be fertilised by the pollen of a distinct flower. Hence I bought some good seed, & several kinds came up very true; the black-coloured kind came up absolutely true, & I saved its seed, & though a dozen different varieties were growing close, again all the seedlings were true. It can hardly be, judging from my extremely limited experience, that the flower always inherits its mother's colour, for I castrated & crossed a dark purple with pollen of yellow kind, & there was great variability in the seedlings, but one seedling alone showed plainly the yellow colour of its father. In case of most plants pollen of another variety seems to have a prepotent effect over a plant's own pollen, (as experiments made by myself have convinced me); & it has occurred to me whether in some very fixed vars. of Hollyhocks exactly the reverse was the case,— that is whether the pollen of a plant's own variety was not prepotent over that of other varieties. The facts which I wish to know, are whether some or many of the variations of Hollyhock come true by seed. And secondly whether the great raisers of Hollyhock seed, who sell named kinds, whether they grow the varieties far apart to prevent crossing. And thirdly, whether when vars. of Hollyhocks are artificially crossed & castrated, whether the colours of the seedlings are generally intermediate. I should be extremely much obliged for any information on these points or on the progress of your work of selection.— I have not much time for reading, & have not yet seen your work, but must see it & your account of the vars. of Cassia.— I yesterday sent off another letter to Cot. Gardener: but I begin greatly to doubt the great Mr. Beaton.— He makes, I am sure, plenty of mistakes in his late discussions, & is dogmatic in highest degree My dear Sir, your sincerely obliged, Charles Darwin
The Robert M. Stecher Collection of Charles Darwin Books and Manuscripts
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Show moreFoolscap sheet, botanical notes, written by Charles Darwin Transcription: "The following members refer to Watsons "Aliens," or plants "how more or less established but either presumed or certainly known to have been originally introduced." [N.B The "Colonists" or weeds for cultivated ground are not here included.] Aliens. The denominator whos total number of "Aliens" in Gt. Britain. The numerator the number of cruciform Aliens. In Gt. Britain, excluding "Aliens" Cruciform 12/92 = 1/7.6 55/1238 = 1/22 Legurinosa 5/92 = 1/18.4 61/1238 = 1/20 Umbollifera 4/92 = 1/23 54/1238 = 1/22 Compurita 10/92 = 1/9.2 117/1238 = 1/10 Laninea 5/92 = 1/18.4 102/1238 = 1/12 [] 3/92 = 1/30 51/1238 = 1/24 Lamiacea 3/92 = 1/30 43/1239 = 1/28"
The Robert M. Stecher Collection of Charles Darwin Books and Manuscripts
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Show moreManuscript pages from Vegetable Mould and Earthworms (p. 292, 1.2 to p. 293, 1.3 in 1881 edition). Text revised slightly in published edition. Transcription: "c. 1880 Charles Darwin period as 2000 years a great amount of Earth will have been brought to the surgace on most old embankments of tunnels, especially on [], + most of this Earth will have been washed away. We may, therefore, conclude that all such ancient works, when not formed of [] materials, will have been [] [] in the course of centuries, although their inclination may not have been greatly []. Fields [] ploughed - From a vy remote perioud + in many countries land has often been ploughed, so the [], called [] or [], usually about 8 ft across, + [] by furrows, have been thrown up. [] so as to carry off the surgace water. In my attempts to ascertain how long the [] + furrows last, after [] land has been [] in [], obstacles of many kinds were encountered. It is rarely known when a field was last ploughed; + some fields which were thought to have been in [] for time immemorial were afterwards found to have been ploughed only 50 or 60 years before. [] the easy fast embankment or tumulus 2000 years old would if it were not removed have raised about 200 times through the intestines of [], + thus have been brought to the surface. As on each occasiona the castings in their soft condition would be eminently liable to be washed to a lower level, it is impossible to doubt that all ancient embankments and tumuli must in the course of centuries have been somewhat lowered though their slopes may not be greatly altered."
The Robert M. Stecher Collection of Charles Darwin Books and Manuscripts
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