From James Torbitt   1 April 1880

J. Torbitt, | Wine Merchant. | 58, North Street, | Belfast

1st. April 1880.

Charles Darwin Esqr.| Down

My dear Sir

I have received back all the documents together with your letter of 28th ulto. and can only repeat my thanks.1

I am flattered by Mr Caird’s opinion, and hope to show, next autumn, some varieties absolutely fungus-proof in the foliage as well as in the tubers.2

I have to day induced Sir Richard Wallace to grow to the extent of an acre, I to have placed at my disposal one half the produce.3

He is about the fifteenth landowner who is growing the potato for me on those terms.

I am growing six acres, and about 2,500 seedlings twice crossed, and a few seeds of twice crossed seedlings, themselves possibly thrice crossed.

I shall keep the expenditure under £150 or less if you wish, and hope to report again in a few days.4

Most respectfully & faithfully | James Torbitt

2
James Caird had told CD: ‘If Mr. Torbitt succeeds in getting a plant more than commonly capable of resisting the fungus we shall all be well repaid’ (see letter from James Caird, 25 March 1880, and letter to James Torbitt, 28 March 1880).
3
Wallace’s Irish estate was at Lisburn, near Belfast.
4
CD had told Caird’s friends that Torbitt could conduct his experiments without using all of the money that was subscribed (see letter to James Torbitt, 28 March 1880 and n. 3).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12557,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12557