James Caird does not think Torbitt’s success justifies application to Government. Torbitt has four acres planted with seedlings. Has sent back CD’s £100. Shall CD insist that he keep it?
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James Caird does not think Torbitt’s success justifies application to Government. Torbitt has four acres planted with seedlings. Has sent back CD’s £100. Shall CD insist that he keep it?
CD again asks JDH to support Torbitt’s project to breed disease-resistant potatoes. He has also sought support of Farrer, Duke of Richmond, and James Caird.
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.
Describes James Torbitt’s plan for producing disease-resistant potato varieties. [Letter is an earlier version of 11406.]
His attempts to obtain a Government grant for Torbitt seem hopeless.
CD is suffering from constant swimming of the head.
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.
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.
Thanks for letter. Comments on SBJS’s research on Palaeolithic flint tools.
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)].
Returns CD’s letter [11389] of which he has kept a copy.
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.
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].
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.
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.
Problems of continuing with his crossing experiments; financial help from CD.
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.
Asks CD to explain why there are hermaphrodites.
Believes letter from CD endorsed by JDH will virtually guarantee Government or private support for Torbitt’s experiments. Queries experimental procedure.
Caird agrees that there will be no difficulty in getting finances.
Intends to translate Origin and Descent into Bohemian to be published at Prague; asks CD’s permission to do so.