To J. D. Hooker   20 October [1857]1

Down Bromley Kent

Oct. 20th

My dear Hooker

I am sorry to trouble you, but will you tell me how I can best send back the large Box.2 Is it not too heavy for Parcels Delivery? Secondly how address it? How to the Library?— You must let me know what the carriage will come to.— I will return all immediately I get your answer, except, perhaps 2d, & except 3d & 4th vols. of Ledebour,3 if you can spare them, but I fear these will be just the Books you are likely most to want. But if you can spare them I will return each vol. as soon as finished.

I shd. like also to keep Grisebach.4 also Cybele;5 this latter, probably, can best be spared. Grisebach I have prepared for classifying, but do not care much about.— So please give me orders, which of the above Books I may keep: Ledebour is by far most useful on account of ranges: I think 12 Ledebour will be done by time Box goes.—

I shall be very glad to do 2 or 3 vols. of Decandolle;6 if you will think which wd. be best:— I shd. think, but will be guided entirely by you, one with some one huge nat. Family, & one with several small ones.—

Also I shd. especially be thankful for any Flora of Holland with varieties marked.— These can be sent in about 3 weeks time, as by enclosed address.

Thank you much for enquiring after our children: Etty is better but far from strong:7 Lenny much better, but has attacks of intermittent pulse.8

How busy you appear to be!

Pray give my very kind remembrances to Mrs. Hooker; How long it is since I have seen her: I hope she is thoroughily well.

Yours most truly | C. Darwin

I have sent little notice to Gardeners’ Chron. on fertilisation of Kidney Beans:9 I have not yet looked to your case of hybrid kidney Beans.—

You talked of coming here for a Sunday: is there any hope of it? I shd. most thoroughily enjoy it & I have a frightful lot of questions to torture you with you unfortunate wretch.—

Cd. you lay your hand on paper in which a Fucus is mentioned not capable of crossing reciprocally?10 it is not worth a hunt.—

If you cannot come here you must let me pay you a call of an hour or two, & do some heavy questioning.—

I have just looked at my list of queries, but it is not so tremendous, as I had fancied.—

Endorsement: ‘57/’

1
The year is given by CD’s reference to his notice on the fertilisation of kidney beans (letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle, 18 October [1857]).
2
CD was returning several botanical works lent to him by Hooker (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 30 September [1857]).
3
Ledebour 1842–53.
4
Grisebach 1843–4.
5
Watson 1847–59.
6
Candolle and Candolle 1824–73.
7
Henrietta Darwin was at Moor Park, where she was undergoing hydropathic treatment. She returned to Down after ten weeks of therapy on 31 October 1857 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
10
Thuret 1854–5.
11
This is CD’s ‘list of queries’ referred to in the letter. It is preserved in DAR 114: 222c.
12
Adlumia had been mentioned in the letter from Asa Gray, [August 1857], as a plant in which insects could hardly be agents of cross-pollination .
13
CD refers to Archibald Campbell, a British civil servant in India whom Hooker had met and travelled with during his stay in India (see Correspondence vol. 4). CD was at this time investigating the breeding of yaks (see letter from Robert Schlagintweit, 25 September 1857).
14
Boreau 1840. CD discussed this query in a note in DAR 47: 192a: ‘Boreau Tom 2. p. 26. Has seen Linum cartharticum with alternate leaves. Is there not division of Linum into 2 sections.’ The note was pasted onto another sheet of paper, and CD wrote: ‘Ch. 7 | Hooker will enquire’. Hooker answered the query in the letter from J. D. Hooker, [6 December 1857]. CD subsequently added in pencil: ‘(not entered)’.
15
Saint-Hilaire 1847.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 the carriage] ‘the’ interl
1.3 will return] ‘will’ above del ‘can’
1.6 soon as] interl
2.3 of the above Books] interl
2.4 Ledebour will] ‘Ledebour’ interl
3.2 entirely] interl
4.1 with varieties marked.] interl
11.1 is mentioned] interl
11.1 not] after del illeg

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2156,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2156