My dear Mr Darwin

Your note followed us on our travels where, inter alia, we had been seeing Silchester, and talked there of you & “worms”—¹

Now for your questions.

1. The concrete floor is not protected or dry. It has perished much with wet & frost, & is also in parts grown over with moss & grass & weeds. This morning we have had such heavy rain that the worm casts are much washed away. But I will look at it the first calm rainless morning and tell you about the worms. I have little doubt that they are at work there & think I trace them this morning.²

2. I send you Mr Wrights article with plan— also a plan I made myself.³

3 All our walks near the house are underlaid with some 6 inches of brick rubbish: and some of them are now on still mornings covered with worm casts; to my gardening feelings, a great nuisance, for they spoil the gravel surface. This morning the rain has washed them into indistinguishable lumps—but you shall have some worm casts on the first favourable day.⁴ Under the fir trees the fallen leaves wash into the holes making a little crown of spines.

4. As to Torbitt— the address is

James Caird Esq C.B

Inclosure Comm^rs Office

St James Square.

I was very sorry that Torbitts case did not come before the recent Irish Committee on Potatoes—but I did not know there was such a Committee till it was over, or I would have suggested their calling him—⁵ He will I trust advertize his potatoes. Put a price on a thing—says Sir W Thompson and you make people think it worth notice.⁶

We found here a rather better account of “Aunt Eliz”: but we can scarcely look for a much better one.⁷

Effie & I have had a charming little excursion to our friends the Maskelynes in Wiltshire—driving back with our own horses & seeing Abury & many other remains.⁸ They are very curious—but still more curious is the infinite quantity written and the infinitesimal quantity known about them

Very sincerely yours | T H Farrer

Ida & Horace we hear are busy furnishing. It is delightful to see her turned into a “Martha” & cumbered with much serving⁹