To James Torbitt   1 November 1879

Down,

Nov. 1, 1879.

My dear Sir

A lady lately sent me two newspapers giving an account of your potato experiments. I have forwarded these papers to Mr. Farrer of the Board of Trade, and remarked to him what a National misfortune it would be if you were compelled to throw up the work.1 He answers that he should be glad in any way to assist and wishes to know whether you have published any report this year, for I have seen none.2 Will you kindly inform me on this head, and what amount of assistance you require for carrying on your experiments satisfactorily. I should also like to know whether you continue fairly hopeful of complete, or even moderate, success. If you will be so kind as to give me some information on the above points, I will communicate with Mr. Farrer, that is if you are still willing to carry on your most valuable work. I have written in haste and hope that I have expressed myself with sufficient clearness.

My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Charles Darwin.

Copy

1
The newspapers that CD sent to Thomas Henry Farrer have not been found; the lady has not been identified (see letter to T. H. Farrer, 23 October 1879 and n. 2).
2
See letter from T. H. Farrer, 30 October 1879 and n. 1. Torbitt had hoped to send CD a report of the latest results of his potato experiments, but the report was delayed because of his wife’s illness (see letter from James Torbitt, 18 September 1879).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12286,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12286