To Daniel Oliver   [22 July 1864]1

Down Bromley Kent

Friday

Dear Oliver.

I am ashamed of myself for troubling you, busy as you are; but I was sorely tempted & I thought that you would naturally take a turn sometimes in the Garden.—2

I am very glad that you are going to have a holiday in France. On your return, perhaps you will observe this one point.— whether a leaf with a pitcher has ever fairly & closely wound round a stick or support.—3

My plant is improving for I have tried desperate methods of treatment & given it two steam baths daily at 100o. & it likes the stewing much.—4

The facts which you give me & your capital outlines will be of use.—

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Daniel Oliver. 21 July 1864. In 1864, the first Friday after 21 July was 22 July.
2
CD had asked Oliver about the climbing habits of Nepenthes (see letter to Daniel Oliver, 13 July [1864] and nn. 2 and 3, and letter from Daniel Oliver, 21 July 1864).
3
From his own observations, CD concluded that the leaves of Nepenthes wound around a stick in order to support the growing pitcher (see ‘Climbing plants’, pp. 46–7).
4
CD had much difficulty in cultivating Nepenthes (see Correspondence vol. 11, letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 March [1863], and this volume, letter to J. D. Hooker, 5 April [1864]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.2 pitcher] after del ‘good’
2.3 & closely] interl
2.3 or support] interl
4.1 capital] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4566,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4566