To Hubert Airy?   9 June [1872?]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. [Bassett, Southampton.]

June 9th

My dear Sir

I shall be very glad to read your paper; but you must not trust to my judgment. I am essentially a very poor critic, as I have often found to my cost,— I am always inclined to believe all I read, & differ only after long reflection; & this is now becoming hard work for me on new subjects.— Moreover I have no mathematical knowledge of any kind or power in this line.—2

So do not trust me, but believe me yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

1
The correspondent and the year are conjectured from the probable relationship between this letter and the letters from Hubert Airy, [before 15] July 1872, and 16 July 1872.
2
See the letter from Hubert Airy, [before 15] July 1872, with Airy’s detailed mathematical modelling of leaf arrangement.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8377,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8377