Dear Sir

I have just received your letter which explains everything most clearly.¹ I heard from Mr. Farrer last night: on reflection, he determined to call on Mr. Caird, who is a great authority on agriculture, as you no doubt know, and he writes to me that “Caird takes it up warmly and he will see the Agricultural Society people”.² The Society has land and he believes that it will cultivate your seeds; and I have said that I feel sure that you will supply the Society with seeds and some tubers.³ I shall hear what is determined and will report to you; but this will probably take a little time. The Society will be an admirable means of distributing any fungous-proof variety. I wrote last night to Mr. Farrer that it appeared to me highly advisable that you yourself should continue your experiments for some time, and that Government money would be well spent in aiding you; but whether he will apply to the Duke of Richmond I am doubtful.⁴

Any how as so small a sum as £100 would enable and encourage you to go on, I pledge myself to transmit at any time a cheque of this amount to you, unless you obtain Government aid. So that I trust you will, as soon as the proper season comes, sow a good many of your cross-fertilized seeds.

Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

To J. Torbitt

Keep this note, in case of my death, on account of my pledge.