Ɛpsilon

To Henry Johnson   14 November 1880

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

Nov. 14th 1880

My dear Johnson

An overwhelming lot of letters has prevented me from thanking you sooner for your answer about the slope of the ground at Worcester; also your daughter for her very kind note.1 I hope before very long to hear again about my other bothersome questions. My heart & soul care for worms & nothing else in this world just at present!2

But I write now to say that I have directed a new book by me on the “Power of Movement in Plants” to be sent you,3 (& it will arrive in about a week) & to add that it is unreadable except by a specialist. If you read Introduction & last chapter you will know whole contents, except the evidence on each head.— Whilst correcting proofs, I bethought me of an old paper by you, but I had forgotten reference, & as far as my memory served me it was chiefly or exclusively on the movements due to difference in tension in different parts, as when a dandelion peduncle is split & such cases do not concern me.4 But if you have treated of other subjects, I shall be punished for my idleness.

I have written today, seven letters & am quite tired, so Farewell | Yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin

1
Johnson’s letter and the note from his daughter, Mary Elisabeth Johnson, have not been found.
2
CD’s letter has not been found; he was working on Earthworms.
3
Johnson’s name appears on the presentation list for Movement in plants (see Appendix IV).
4
Johnson had observed the movements of plants such as the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) after their stems had been divided or notched; he attributed the subsequent movements to a ‘vital contractile power’ analogous to the irritability of animal tissue (Johnson 1835a and Johnson 1835b; see Correspondence vol. 27, letter to Henry Johnson, 24 September 1879).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 (Railway … S.E.R.)] parentheses added
2.2 (& … week)] interl
2.7 as … split] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12816,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12816