Sends some trees to CD.

Would be pleased to receive the copy of Origin offered by CD as gift.

Will give CD any tree or shrub he may want.

Refers to curious strawberry hybrids noticed in Journal of Horticulture [I. Anderson-Henry, "Crossing strawberries", J. Hortic. n.s. 4 (1863): 45–6].

Thanks CD for Origin.

TR has often thought naturalists do not pay enough attention to the effect of site, soil, and climate on animals and plants and "hence has arisen the enormous number of so-called species".

His observations on people of different counties.

Asks CD’s views on TR’s observations that leaves breathe from their under-surfaces.

Peach-trees in hothouses cannot be kept in health unless fresh air is admitted so as to make its way under the leaves.

Continues his observations on the effect of environment on men – those migrating to America gradually assuming Indian-like features.

His observations of "selection" in growth of seedling trees.

Thanks CD for his paper on Lythrum [Collected papers 2: 106–31].

Astonished by CD’s powers of observation and perseverance.

His elms raised from three varieties of weeping elms are doing well.

Thanks CD for "Climbing plants" [see 4861].

Encloses sketch of a climbing French bean.

Tells of a row of non-climbing haricot beans that in good season put out slender climbing shoots.

He has the peach almond in fruit this season.

Will be sure to send the Cytisus and Laburnum blooms when they flower.

Sends a sketch of the haricot climbing the shoot of the plum-tree [see 4866].

Hopes to see CD at the [Horticultural] Congress on Wednesday [30 May].

Sends data on movement direction of Wisteria shoots.

Sends blooms of Cytisus purpureus-elongatus.

Has searched scores of purple-fruited nut-trees, but not a nut is to be found. Has heard there are some nearby and will send them as soon as he receives them.

Sends CD a letter from Mr Claydon responding to TR’s doubts and confirming the truth of a report that a farmer had "transmuted" oats into barley.

Sends a root of a wild oat-grass from California and the root of a variety of barley that came from it. Several varieties of barley, all differing from English varieties, came up in the same bed of oat-grass. "The transmutation of a genus seems almost incredible" but TR has seen so many changes he has ceased to doubt strongly.

Reports on a curious cross in peach varieties, in which the male made a firm large peach into a fruit more almond-like than itself.

Thanks CD for sending him Variation and for honouring his name by its frequent mention in the work.

Sends two vines for CD’s experiments, with instructions for grafting.

Mentions a hybrid plum–peach.

CD is collecting [for Variation] all accounts of what some call "sports" and what he calls "bud-variations". He asks whether very slight variations in fruit appear suddenly by buds, or whether only rather strongly marked varieties thus appear.

Thanks for letter [missing] and help.

Asks about the effect said to be produced on the stock by a graft.

Health prevents accepting TR’s invitation.

Thanks for parcel of shoots with several interesting cases of "bud-variation".

Asks for information about roses.

Strange that great changes in peaches are less rare than slight ones and no case seems recorded of new apples or pears or apricots by "bud-variation". "How ignorant we are!"

Thanks for "rich and valuable" letter [missing].

Has read TR’s paper in Gardeners’ Chronicle ["Seedling fruits – plums", (1863): 27] – "a treasure to me".

Questions about seedling peaches that approach almonds.

Asks whether TR has ever observed varieties of plants growing close to other varieties for several generations without being affected by crossing.

Particularly interested in TR’s information about peaches. Accepts offer of double-flowering peach-trees.

Will build a small hothouse for experiments.