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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Returned last night. Huxley, left at Baden Baden, remarkably well.
Would like to come to Down with Strachey.
Starts tomorrow for visit to Farrer and Effie [Euphemia Farrer, daughter of Hensleigh Wedgwood]. Has not done such a feat [i.e., staying as a guest of someone outside the immediate family?] for 25 years.
Has been half killing himself with Drosera.
Asks JDH why so many plants are protected by a thin layer of waxy matter or with fine hairs.
Wrote to John Smith for a plant of Oxalis sensitiva, but it has not acted well.
Rejoices over Ayrton’s retirement. Hopes W. P. Adam, his successor, is a good sort of man.
Has observed CD’s points. Except for leaves of Nelumbium, would have supposed both wax and hairs were connected with absorption or respiratory functions. May subserve some function connected with rays of sun. Watering most prejudicial in the hot sun: a splendid subject for experiments.
Adam is a good man.
Asks JDH to inquire of gardeners at Kew what they think about injury to plants from watering during sunshine. Wishes to experiment. He is already convinced that drops of water do not act as burning lenses.
He and Strachey will arrive on Saturday.
Is aghast at thought of being questioned on injury to plants by watering. Fears he will be considered an ignorant Director of Kew.
Will arrive at Orpington by usual train.
Identifies three plants sent by CD.
