From M. J. Berkeley   7 March 1856

My dear Sir/

All that I did about the seeds was done at the suggestion of D^r Hooker entirely to forwar⁠⟨⁠d⁠⟩⁠ your views, and the little that I was able to ascertain is entirely at your service.¹ I think I should arrange the families as they appear in Lindleys Vegetable Kingdom.² It is best to have some definite order. The Corn salad consists of different species of Fedia. I cannot tell you what particular species or supposed species. The Aubergine is a variety of Solanum Melongena. The Kidney bean I tried was the dwarf Belgian Phaseolus vulgaris. It is very possible that the change of seed in the Sugar Peas may be due to mere variation and not to impregnation.³ The subject is not capable of solution from one or two Experiments. The mottled seeds last year produced grey, red & other colored peas. A few only came quite true. But I cannot say that the change is from impregnation of their neighbours. The white sugar peas come more true than the mottled ones, but they vary in tint. I have not got Gærtners book to refer to.⁴

I am so busy this year with my Introduction to Crypt. Bot that I have no time for gardening.⁵

Do you know the Rawsons at Bromley?⁶ M^rs Rawsons brother lives here and has married my neice.

I am very truly yours M J Berkeley.—

I should be glad of two or three of the Black Peas King’s Cliff | March 7. 1856.

Two or three red peas sowed by themselves produced mottled peas.