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Darwin Correspondence Project

From T. H. Farrer   13 January 1882

Abinger Hall, | Dorking. | (Gomshall S.E.R. | Station & Telegraph.)

13 Jan/82

My dear Mr Darwin

I hardly think it is worth while to send the inclosed to Caird—but will mention it to him next week.1

As regards the potatoes sent to me—those which were for eating we found very poor. Those which were for seed have produced abundantly but we have not tried them yet. They have not resisted disease better than other kinds which Payne has grown2

Sincerely yrs | T H Farrer

It was a pleasure to see Ida looking so bright & well but Horace wants a holiday   I could not see more beauty in the baby than in others, nor any likeness3

Footnotes

CD had enclosed a letter from James Torbitt with his letter to T. H. Farrer, 10 January 1882; it has not been found. James Caird had worked with CD and Farrer to obtain financial assistance for Torbitt’s potato experiments.
Torbitt had sent potatoes to Farrer and Caird in March 1881 (see Correspondence vol. 29, letter from James Torbitt, 10 March 1881); Farrer’s gardener was George Payne.
Horace and Ida Darwin’s first child, Erasmus Darwin (1881–1915), was born on 7 December 1881.

Summary

Potatoes [from Torbitt experiment] sent him for eating were very poor. Those for seed produced abundantly, but have not resisted disease better than other kinds that Payne [his gardener] has grown.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-13617
From
Thomas Henry Farrer, 1st baronet and 1st Baron Farrer
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Abinger Hall
Source of text
DAR 164: 105
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13617,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13617.xml

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