To Francis Darwin 28 [October 1881]1
Down.
28th
My dear old Backy
I am going to amuse myself by scribbling a bit de rebus scientificibus.2 I have thought that you might like to read Fritz Muller’s letter. He has sent me seeds— Shall I sow them? By the way I have found the seeds of Dalbergia, which I accused you of losing.3 I enclose letters from Hooker & Lawes about the Worms, which I have thought you might like to see: please keep them all..—4 I have had also an interesting letter from the D. of Argyll, but it is hardly worth taking off the spit.5 The worm book is selling well: I heard yesterday that the 3d thousand is printing off & Mr Cooke writes that “it is selling like Jack Robinson”.—6 We had a very pleasant visit in Cambridge, & every body was most cordial to-wards me, but I saw too many persons & so was rather tired. Bernard was charming on our journey home & sat on my knee conversing, with an old lady, probably a grandmother, listening intently to every word he said.7
I have had a long letter from Pfeffer (with his photograph) which I have despatched to Camilla to translate; as we cd only make out that he wd. not go on working on the movements of plants., if I intended to do so!!!.—8 I had a very long talk with Vines (& liked him much). He is not inclined to trust much in Wiesner & says he is finical in his experiments & strongly inclined to oppose everyone. When I told him how I had been vivisected (& recommended him strongly to get Wiesners new book) I saw clearly that he was determined if possible to believe in us.9
I discussed with L. Raleigh, George & Horace how to retry some of our experiments, & if you are inclined to try some of them again, I can explain my notions.—10 I feel pretty sure that Wiesner ⟨is⟩ wrong in some cases. Some of his views seem to me mere words, such as leaves being at the same time heliotropic & apheliotropic.—11 By the way Vines was very much surprised at the behaviour of the roots of Euphorbia when exposed to C. of Ammonia.— He was astonished at the contents of the alternate rows of cells differing in their nature.— He evidently thought the subject worth pursuing. As far as I can yet make out the phenomenon has no connection with the milky juice.—12
Can you tell me where I can read about the vessels with milky juice? You told me about the tubes going up & down in a marvellous manner.13 I have written a very long & cordial letter to Wiesner.—14 Dr King of Calcutta says he has despatched a very good specimen in spirits of Dischidia Rafflesiana—which makes pitchers, which catch & drown many ants,, like a Nepenthes. It is a climbing plant like ivy & the strange fact is that it always sends roots from its own stem into its own pitchers into the putrid water.—15 I have written to Hooker to know whether he knows of anyone who wd be capable of well histo-logising the pitchers; but possibly you might like to undertake the job—16
What a splendid fisher-man you have become.— Your fish was capital eating17
Goodbye— I am tired | your affectionate Father | C. Darwin
P.S. There has just arrived an Italian pamphlet for you by Dr. Solla
“La Luce e le Piante”—18
Another letter from Dr Hooker who says why does not Frank undertake Dischidia? He says for years he has wished to see the plant alive, but no one can grow it here.— He has again written to Singapore.19
Footnotes
Bibliography
‘Action of carbonate of ammonia on roots’: The action of carbonate of ammonia on the roots of certain plants. By Charles Darwin. [Read 16 March 1882.] Journal of the Linnean Society of London (Botany) 19: 239–61.
Calendar: A calendar of the correspondence of Charles Darwin, 1821–1882. With supplement. 2d edition. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1994.
Earthworms: The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1881.
Griffith, William. 1846. On the structure of the ascidia and stomata of Dischidia rafflesiana Wall. [Read 20 January 1846.] Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 20 (1846–7): 387–90.
Movement in plants: The power of movement in plants. By Charles Darwin. Assisted by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray. 1880.
ODNB: Oxford dictionary of national biography: from the earliest times to the year 2000. (Revised edition.) Edited by H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. 60 vols. and index. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004.
Solla, Ruggero Felice. 1880. La Luce e le piante. L’Amico dei Campi: Periodico Mensile di Agricoltura ed Orticoltura della Società Agraria in Trieste 17.
Wiesner, Julius. 1881. Das Bewegungsvermögen der Pflanzen. Eine kritische Studie über das gleichnamige Werk von Charles Darwin nebst neuen Untersuchungen. Vienna: Alfred Hölder.
Summary
Earthworms is selling well.
Discussed how to repeat some of their plant experiments while in Cambridge.
Comments on Julius Wiesner’s views on plant movement.
S. H. Vines was very much surprised at the action of carbonate of ammonia on the roots of Euphorbia.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13440
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Francis Darwin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 211: 88
- Physical description
- ALS 8pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13440,” accessed on 20 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13440.xml