From C. S. Bate 29 November 1869
8, Mulgrave Place, | Plymouth.
Nov 29— 69
My dear Sir
Probably the enclosed may not be new information to you but I am loth to run the risk of not conveying to you that which may be of interest.
Walking in the nursery garden this afternoon I observed a smooth leaved Holly one branch of which was of the ordinary prickly kind. The Gardener assures me that there has been no graft, nor is it probable considering the position of the branch.1
He says that the branch had been cut back for the purpose of not allowing it to interfere with the pathway & that the young branch came forth in this altered variety:
Should you feel interest in the circumstance I dare say that I could obtain further information or probably supply you with the branch.
I am my dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Spence Bate
Footnotes
Bibliography
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Reports a case of a smooth-leaved holly tree with one branch of prickly leaves; is willing to supply more details.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7016
- From
- Charles Spence Bate
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Plymouth
- Source of text
- DAR 160: 55
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7016,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7016.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17