From J. B. Innes 20 October 1877
Milton Brodie | Forres—
20 Octr 1877—
Dear Darwin,
Thanks for your note about the Loch Carron tree.1 I sent a portion of it to the Journal of Horticulture and the Editor replies.
“The tree is the Sambucus racemosa, Red berried Elder, introduced by Gerarde in the year 1596. No genus has more superstitions connected with it than has the Sambucus.”2
If Stuart is still at Courthill next summer I shall examine the flowers: Could the wily old minister have got some seeds and stuck them in where he foretold (if he did) that the tree should grow?.3 I am glad to see your Coal and Clothing Club is doing well. Ffinden sent me a report of it.4
And I am glad to hear that Ffinden has an interval of pacific tempers.5 Some at least of Hoole’s family are I hear at Downe already. I think you will like them, the children are the dearest little bodies I know, and the parents very genial and pleasant—6
With our kindest regards | Faithfully yours | J Brodie Innes
Footnotes
Bibliography
Aiton, William Townsend. 1810–13. Hortus Kewensis; or, A catalogue of the plants cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew. 2d edition. 5 vols. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Moore, James Richard. 1985. Darwin of Down: the evolutionist as squarson-naturalist. In The Darwinian heritage, edited by David Kohn. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press in association with Nova Pacifica (Wellington, NZ).
Summary
JBI reports that the editor of Journal of Horticulture has identified the tree at Loch Carron as Sambucus racemosa, red-berried elder.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11194
- From
- John Brodie Innes
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Milton Brodie
- Source of text
- DAR 167: 33
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11194,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11194.xml