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From Alfred Grugeon   25 February [1877]1

3 Laura Cottages | Papworth Street | Leyton.

Feby 25th.

Dear Sir

Pardon me once again if I trespass on your time.2 If what I am about to call your attention is irrelevant, do not trouble to answer it. I reading your last book I was much struck with the results of self fertilization in Mimulus, where the new variety appeared with the white ground, and with increased powers of self fertilization.3 Varieties like this although perhaps having little chance in competition with the cross fertilized plants may be valuable to the Florist who rases plants for the public

It seems to me therefore that you have conferred a great boon on that profession or calling, in laying down a definite plan of action on which they may rely. Also the tendency to monstrosoty that you have noticed in self fertilized plants, is likely to be utilized by the sam⁠⟨⁠e⁠⟩⁠ people.4 Do not these observ⁠⟨⁠ations⁠⟩⁠ of yours account for some facts that have hitherto been to me a puzzle. I have been mixed up for a many years with enthusiastic amateur gardeners. The Spitalfields weavers. These men in my boyish days were passionately fond of Stocks5 and were the best growers of them I have ever known. there were usually one or tw⁠⟨⁠o who⁠⟩⁠ excelled in producing the greatest percent⁠⟨⁠age⁠⟩⁠ of doubles, and to be able to get a dozen of thier young plants or a pinch of thier seed was the desire of thier neighbours, as no seed supplied by the trade ever produced such good results. I believe these men never allowed more than two single plants to remain for seeding. were not therefore these men unconsciously isolating thier plants and encouraging self fertilization, and the increase of monstrosoty.

May I ask also if the new variety of Cotton that was written of by the correspondent of the Da⁠⟨⁠  ⁠⟩⁠ at Alexandria, as having appeared spontaneously ⁠⟨⁠in⁠⟩⁠ the plantations in the Menutie district, have originated by this means6   If so what a vast field of enterprise is opened for the improvement of all Vegetable products.

With sincere apologies for my intrusion | I Remain Dear Sir | Yours gratefully | Alfred Grugeon

1
The year is established by the reference to Cross and self fertilisation and by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Alfred Grugeon, 14 January [1877].
3
In Cross and self fertilisation, p. 79, CD described the appearance of a new white-flowered variety of Mimulus luteus (a synonym of Erythranthe lutea, yellow monkeyflower), which became increasingly self-fertile over successive generations.
4
See Cross and self fertilisation, p. 40.
5
The common name ‘stock’ usually refers to Mathiola incana, but may be applied to other species of the genus.
6
A note from an Alexandria correspondent to The Times, 15 February 1877, p. 6, described a new cotton plant, known as ‘Bamia’ cotton, discovered in the ‘province of Menouf’. Al Minūfīyah governorate is in the Nile Delta of Egypt (Columbia gazetteer of the world). The cotton was identified by Joseph Dalton Hooker as a variety of Gossypium barbadense (Kew Gardens. Report on the progress and condition of the Royal Gardens at Kew during the year 1877, House of Commons Parliamentary Papers 1878 (303) LXI. 183, p. 16).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10869,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10869