He has only an uncertain memory of the placement of stamens in the [monstrous?] primrose CD asked about.

Thanks for Orchids.

Will be sending information on peloric plants from his father [William Masters] soon.

Thanks CD for specimens which show that an abnormality in one genus is normal in another, which bears on CD’s views on descent.

Explains several monstrous flowers sent by CD.

MTM heard part of the abstract of CD’s paper on climbing plants, read at the Linnean Society on 2 Feb. Offers CD his opinion and information on the subject, which he has studied for many years.

Will forward Robert Caspary’s paper to CD when it is published ["Sur les hybrides obtenus par la greffe", Bull. Congr. Int. Bot. & Hortic. Amsterdam (1865): 65–80].

MTM is to become editor of Gardeners’ Chronicle.

He will soon take over editorship of Gardeners’ Chronicle and hopes for CD’s continued support.

As Honorary Secretary of the Botanical Congress he asks that CD’s name be listed as a member of its committee.

Expects R. Caspary’s paper to be published soon.

Reports the conclusions of another of RC’s papers on the movement of tree branches due to cold [Bull. Congr. Int. Bot. & Hortic. Lond. (1866): 98–117]

and discusses a paper by H. Lecoq on the mountain flora of the Auvergne [Proc. Bot. Congr. (1866): 158–65]. He disagrees with CD on glaciation and its effect on geographical distribution.

Forwards some plant specimens to CD for his comments.

MTM did not write Gardeners’ Chronicle review of Variation [(1868): 184].

Encloses letters supporting a project [Botanical Congress?] to promote horticulture, and hopes CD will reconsider giving his support.

Thanks for Emanuel Bonavia’s letter on a Laburnum monster.

After examining a basket of piebald potatoes he does believe them to be a graft-hybrid as Friedrich Hildebrand might suggest.

Sends CD another piebald potato and a spray of holly, from Mr Fish, discussed in Gardeners’ Chronicle of 22 Jan [1869, p. 83].

Sends paper on the "Origin of genera".

J. Decaisne, in last week’s Gardeners’ Chronicle, on the apple, cannot mean there are no intermediates between Malus and Pyrus.

Robert Fenn exhibited potatoes at the Horticultural Society which showed general failure of graft-hybrids and provided an example of reversion to a wild Peruvian tuber resulting from cross-fertilisation.

After reading Descent, MTM sends report of a dog that woke its master at 7 a.m. on work days and 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Asks CD’s opinion of John Denny’s idea that males have prepotent transmission power in plants. A. J. F. Wegmann says the females are prepotent.

Seeks an interview with CD to discuss reorganisation of Gardeners’ Chronicle.