Ɛpsilon

To Virginius Dabney   20 October 1878

Down, | Beckenham, Kent, | (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.)

Oct 20th 1878

Dear Sir

I thank you for your very kind letter & for all the trouble which you have taken in sending me the supposed hybrid Tomato.—1 I am quite perplexed by the case. If it is really a hybrid it must have been produced by the direct action of the pollen of a distinct species on the mother plant. This seems very improbable considering that they are distinct species. That in the case of varieties pollen may act on the mother plant so as to affect her fruit I believe is demonstrated, though some Botanists will not believe in such cases.—2

Again it may possibly be a bud-variation of the Egg Plant;3 though this is improbable it is perhaps less improbable than that it shd. be a hybrid of the nature indicated. So I do not know what to think, I am so much engaged that I doubt whether I can find time to sow seeds & observe plants, but if I come across anyone who can be trusted to observe I will give him the seeds.—4

I have many letters to write & remain | Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

1
Dabney’s letter has not been found. The tomato is Solanum lycopersicum.
2
In Variation 1: 397–403, CD had discussed the direct action of foreign pollen on the mother plant in varieties of fruits, but noted that many supposed cases were probably cases of bud variation.
3
The eggplant or aubergine is Solanum melongena.
4
CD sent fruit of the supposed hybrid Solanum to Kew on 27 January 1879 (Inwards book, p. 112, Archives, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.4 very] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11725,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11725