To J. D. Hooker   25 September 1868

My dear Hooker

You will remember the reiterated & incredible accounts of oats converted into barley & wheat. A Mr Dunn sent me thro’ Huxley a photograph of an ear of wheat apparently with 2 florets of the oat growing out of it. I answered that the specimen was not worth an old straw unless soaked to see if there had been any trick or accidental insertion, & unless examined by some well-known botanist.¹ He has now generously given me the specimen which he evidently values much, & is convinced there has been no trick. As under these circumstances I felt nearly sure you w^d examine it I have sent it by this post registered in a box. One of the glumes has fallen off & is put separately in paper.. I sh^d add that a stupid farmer took out of the lower floret, as M^r Dunn says, a perfect oat seed. If these florets have not been inserted or accidentally entangled, the case is wonderful; but of course I do not know whether the 2 florets have the real character of any variety of the oat. If not a true oat it is an odd case of bud-variation or disease.² Should there be no deception I hope you will publish an account & a figure & I w^d get further details, but I quite expect that it will all turn out humbug.

yours affectionately | Ch. Darwin

Let me have a line, as I must write to M^r Dunn.—

PS. We shall be delighted to see Harriet with you or sooner. Mrs. Hooker must consider that she owes us a visit as she cannot come now—³

P.S. I have read Berkeleys address in Gard. Chronicle. It is tremendous on me.— I do not think it looks nice to write to a man too thank him for praising one.⁴ But if you have at any time to write to him, & can remember, pray say with entire truth, that I was deeply gratified by what he said.

Praise from such a man is something to remember.—