From William Bennett 25 May 1864
Brockham Lodge, | nr Reigate,
25/5th mo. 1864
My dear friend,
The inclosed I can have no doubt is the plant, and in an excellent condition for transplanting; though it is rather difficult to distinguish at so early a period, as it grows among Glyceria, which is the reason why it had so long escaped detection in this locality.—1 My engagements happen to take me to town, under an unusual pressure, most days this week, though Saturday I believe will be at liberty, and the beginning of next week, except Wednesday. Still I should be glad to have a line, if convenient, which day the gardener is likely to come,2 as unless a good botanist, he would be hardly likely to find the plant, though in considerable abundance, without assistance. We have not a great many trains on our Line, (the South Eastern,) that stop at Croydon;—9.42 & 11.48, down in the morning; and nothing between 1.50, and 5.27, up, in the afternoon. He must come to Betchworth, (not Reigate) Station, and our house is mile from the Station, readily found by enquiry. He need not bring any instruments for getting up the plant, only a can or bucket for carrying it. And please say if there is any other plant of our neighbourhood, that would be any desideratum;— We abound in orchis’s on the chalk hills, and muscifera is this year particularly abundant.
In haste, I am, | Very sincerely, | Wm. Bennett
C Darwin. | Bromley—
CD annotations
Verso:
‘at 10°26 Betchworth 1° .50’ at Croydon 2° .47’ 5°27’ at 6° .13’’ pencil
Footnotes
Bibliography
Willis, John Christopher. 1973. A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns. 8th edition. Revised by H. K. Airy Shaw. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Summary
Sends plant and directions to his home so that CD’s gardener may call for another plant.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4509
- From
- William Bennett
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Reigate
- Source of text
- DAR 160: 147
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4509,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4509.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12