The Colonel [J. L. Chester] is pleased [see 12509].

Jos[iah Wedgwood III] is dying.

Wonders whether Lord Derby would advance him the money to continue his work.

Is prepared to continue his work, if financial help is forthcoming.

Has sent off paper to the Royal Society

and begun work on a new problem which he feels contains the meaning of Bode’s Law, concerning the mean distances of the planets from the sun. There are mathematical difficulties, however, which he may be unable to surmount.

Will get to work on the pendulum next week.

Suggests Torbitt make a report on his progress so far.

Encloses check [cheque!?] for £50. James Caird will guarantee £75 and T. H. Farrer £25. Above gentlemen think JT should get report on his experiments from independent agriculturists.

P.S. to letter posted that morning. James Caird cannot pledge £75. Erasmus Darwin and Hensleigh Wedgwood will subscribe. May write letter to the Times. Asks for report on experiments.

Describes subscription for Torbitt [to continue potato experiments]. Would dislike writing to any paper, but Hensleigh [Wedgwood] and Erasmus [Darwin] advise CD to write to the Times.

Writes of the weather,

his reading of Huxley’s Crayfish [1880],

and domestic matters.

Encloses note and cheque from James Caird [for Torbitt].

Agrees that CD should write to the Times [about Torbitt’s potato experiments].

Thanks THF for his contribution; now has £170 to permit Torbitt to carry on his experiments. Describes the scale of the experiments and his belief in their value.

Thanks for copy of TLB’s Pharmacology [1880].

Sends funds for potato experiments. Asks for information on progress.

Sends seeds of Megarrhiza and gives details of species.

Encloses statement of U. S. sales of CD’s works to 1 Feb 1880 and sends a cheque for balance due to CD.

Encloses letter from James Caird, who has entire confidence in CD’s appropriation of the money [collected for Torbitt’s experiments].

Hopes to finish his report tomorrow; last year’s crosses were failures.

Asks about possible erratum in JT’s account of experiments.

Sends pheasant tail coverts, which he believes are unusual in pattern, resembling those of a peacock.