My dear Sir.

With profound respect, if anything could stimulate me to energetic action it would be your approval, but I have no energy, only some tenacity of purpose.

To report—I have had an account of my experiments published, have got rid of the varieties of 1875, excepting a few which are too good to be destroyed, these and the crossed varieties of 1877/8 I have planted to the extent of ten acres.¹

The varieties of last season (1878) crossed in the second generation, are now growing healthily from selected heaviest and largest seed, and I am at present pricking out from the seed beds into boxes 7000 of the most vigorous. For cost of these your remittance is amply sufficient, I having had all the appliances necessary for their growth on hand previously²   I am pushing the principle of selection much farther, and protecting the seedlings more carefully than ever before:

On yesterday I had the honor and the pleasure to send to you some specimens—first a whole variety of last season once crossed—second some tubers of a once crossed variety of 1877 which seems to be good—third a few tubers of a variety of 1876, not known whether crossed or not, this variety is exceedingly strong in the stems and produces tubers of the size of the specimens, the “runner” then continues a few inches beyond this tuber (not through it, the tuber being evidently an enlargement of the runner) and produces a second tuber of about an inch in diameter, and in every instance which I have observed the first tubers have been free from the parasite and in many instances the second tubers have been infested.³ Of the varieties of 1877 I have many like this.

Lastly in the large bags are two differentiated specimens of one variety of 1875 marked respectively Black 75 No 1 and Black 75 No 2, with a description of the behaviour of which, I shall venture to trouble you tomorrow, and I am satisfied it will be found interesting, at least as being curious.⁴

I am My dear Sir | Most respectfully & faithfully yours | James Torbitt