From Arthur Hall 5 December 1881
72 Stamford Street | London S.E.
Dec 5/81
“Vegetable Mould &c”
Dear Sir
Many of the minor Roman Roads about England that sustain no traffic, are called Green Lanes, being turfy.1
It appears that several of them have been regularly stratified with pavement & the original surface has thus become covered with mould in sufficient quantity to support abundant Vegetation. One such road in particular, that has been pointed out to me, runs from Chesterton near Bicester past Lord Jersey’s Park at Middleton Stoney to Woodstock, in Oxfordshire.2 There, when the surface is probed for a few feet, the labourers discover the hard stone placed there 14 or 16 centuries ago.
I do not know that this special form of illustration to your subject has come under your notice—3 & remain, | Yrs very respectfully | A. Hall
Charles Darwin Esr— | &c &c
Footnotes
Bibliography
Earthworms: The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms: with observations on their habits. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1881.
Summary
Vegetable mould covering paving-stones in Oxfordshire lanes accumulated over 14 or 16 centuries.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13531
- From
- Arthur Hall
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Stamford St, 72
- Source of text
- DAR 166: 88
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13531,” accessed on 14 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13531.xml
