My dear Hooker

I shall not at present allude to your very interesting letter,¹ (which as yet has been read to me only twice!!) for I am full of a project, which I much want you to consider.—

You will have seen Scott’s note.² He tells me he has no plans for the future. Thinking over all his letters I believe he is a truly remarkable man.— He is willing to follow suggestions, but has much originality in varying his Experiments.—³ I believe years may pass before another man appears fitted to investigate certain difficult & tedious points—viz relative fertility of varieties of plants—including peloric & other monsters (already Scott has done excellent work on this head)⁴   And secondly whether a plant’s own pollen is less effective than that of another individual.⁵

Now if Scott is moderate in his wishes I would pay him for a year or two to work & publish on these or other such subjects which might arise.— But I dare not have him here, for it w^d quite overwork me. There w^d not be plants sufficient for his work, & it w^d probably be an injury to himself as it w^d put him out of the way of getting a good situation. Now I believe you have gardeners at Kew who work & learn there without pay.⁶ What do you think of having Scott there for a year or two to work & experiment?

I can see enormous difficulties. In the 1^st place you will not perhaps think the points indicated so highly important as I do. 2^ndly He w^d require ground in some out of the way place where the plants c^d be covered by net which w^d be unsightly. On the other hand I presume you w^d like a series of memoirs published on work done at Kew which I am fully convinced w^d have permanent value. It w^d of course I conceive be absolutely necessary that Scott sh^d be under the regular orders of the superintendant.⁷ The only way I can fancy that it c^d be done w^d be to explain to the superintendant that I temporarily supported Scott solely for the sake of Science, & appeal to his kindness to assist him. If you approved of having him (which I can see is improbable) & you simply ordered the superintendant to assist him I believe every thing w^d go to loggerheads. As for Scott himself it w^d be of course be an advantage to him to study the cultivation at Kew. You w^d get to know him & if he really is a good man you cd perhaps be able to recommend him to some situation at home or abroad.

Pray turn this in your mind. I have no idea whether Scott w^d like the place but I can see that he has a burning zeal for science. He told me that his parents were in better circumstances & that he chose a gardener’s life solely as the best way of following science⁸   I may just add that in his last letter he gives me the results of many ex— on diff^t individuals of the same sp. of orchid shewing the most remarkable diversity in their sexual condition.⁹ It seems to me a grievous loss that such a man sh^d have all his work cut short. Please remember that I know nothing of him excepting from his letters; these shew remarkable talent, astonishing perseverance much modesty & what I admire determined difference from me on many points.

Yours affectionately | Ch. Darwin

What will Sir William say?¹⁰