[Enclosure]

Right Hon. Sir,

In addition to my proposal to produce next spring 100,000 new varieties of the potato, I would most respectfully suggest that they should be distributed gratis to the people, through the Post Office; they would weigh only a few ounces each, and the distribution would cost nothing. Probably 20,000 or 30,000 of them would be disease-proof, and there would be no lack of applicants.

And further, I would most respectfully propose, that this process of production and distribution should be continued year by year until the whole kingdom should be flooded with disease-proof new varieties.

And the necessity for the production of multitudes of varieties, if the maximum power of the plant is to be made available, is two-fold—first, because it is many years before one variety attains to any considerable bulk, or becomes of any value; second, because the yield of tubers, of new-disease-proof varieties, is enormous during the first few years of life; but after a few years (more or less according to the constitution of the variety) it begins to fall off, and the varieties begin to become subject to the disease; and when this double defect reaches a certain point, those varieties ought to be discarded, and new lives substituted; consequently, new varieties should be continually coming forward in multitudes, to replace those wearing out.

I most respectfully beg leave to submit herewith “Knight’s” opinion on this subject, and the results of his experiments in growing new varieties; and given the means, I am now prepared to supply to every man in the kingdom who may want it, with a new variety of the potato, which shall be so prolific, and so free from disease, that it shall give, after separating any small proportion of diseased tubers, which may be found, a larger yield of sound tubers than the old varieties give of sound and diseased tubers taken together.

I am, most respectfully, | Right Honourable Sir, | Your most obedient servant, | JAMES TORBITT.

58, North Street, Belfast, | 23rd Dec., 1880.