From Charles Darwin to William Kemp   [14 October 1843]

Dear Sir

I have heard from Prof. Henslow, who expresses a doubt, whether some of the seeds may not have been contained in the soil, in which you planted the seeds from the sand-pit.— In the case of the Atriplex, I think, the circumstance of the same strange form having come up from the seeds planted by you & at the Hort. Soc. shows that there could have been no mistake in this case. But will you be so good as to inform me, whether you took any precaution against this source of error.—

I am very sorry to say that Prof. Henslow, now suspects that the Atriplex is merely a variety of the common A. patula.   in this case, I fear, no editor would wish to insert more than a brief notice of the germination of seeds buried at the depth &c &c under which you found them. But we had better pause & hear what the Botanists determine. I will send a specimen to M^r Babington, who is an accurate discriminator of British species & hear what he says.

Believe me | Yours very faithfully | C. Darwin

[Addressed to] M^r. Kemp | Gas Works | Galashiels | Scotland

[Postmarked ‘Shrewsbury OC 15 | 1843’