From M. J. Berkeley 13 July 1875
Summary
Fairy-rings grow because the fungal spawn radiates outwards then dies off at the centre as it becomes exhausted. The verdure of the grass depends upon the decay of the fungus supplying nitrogenous manure. Rings are formed mainly in upland pastures poor in nitrogenous matter. Gives examples of woodland fungi that form rings.
Author: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 13 July 1875 |
Classmark: | DAR 160: 175 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10062 |
From M. J. Berkeley 7 March 1856
Summary
Reports on breeding experiments with various seeds: corn, aubergine, kidney beans, sugar-peas. Speculates that cause of changes in seed colour in sugar-peas may be mere variation rather than result of impregnation.
Author: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Date: | 7 Mar 1856 |
Classmark: | DAR 160: 174 |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1836 |
To M. J. Berkeley 10 July 1875
Summary
Enquires about fairy rings.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 10 July 1875 |
Classmark: | The National Library of Wales (NLW St Asaph Diocesan Records SA/CR/219) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10055F |
To M. J. Berkeley 7 April [1855]
Summary
Asks for a pea variety for an experiment.
Discusses C. F. v. Gärtner’s results [in Bastarderzeugung im Pflanzenreich (1849)]. Criticises Gärtner’s belief that hybrids are always less fertile than their parents.
Asks about MJB’s experiments.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 7 Apr [1855] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/41) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1662 |
To M. J. Berkeley 11 April [1855]
Summary
Thanks MJB for peas.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 11 Apr [1855] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/42) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1665 |
To M. J. Berkeley 12 June [1855]
Summary
Thanks for approval of seed-soaking experiments in Gardeners’ Chronicle ["Does sea-water kill seeds?", 26 May 1855; Collected papers 1: 255–8]. They seem not to have convinced Hooker of consequences for geographical distribution.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 12 June [1855] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/43) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1699 |
To M. J. Berkeley 3 July [1855]
Summary
Reports success of seed-soaking experiments. Celery and onion germinate after 85 days’ immersion.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 3 July [1855] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/44) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1710 |
To M. J. Berkeley 29 February [1856]
Summary
Preparing paper on seed-soaking for Linnean Society ["Action of sea-water on seeds", Collected papers 1: 264–73]. Wants to use MJB’s results. Lost ardour when he found seeds would not float.
Has grown MJB’s purest pea seeds and got a few variants. Gärtner’s experiments suggest direct action of pollen, but CD thinks it is "mere variation".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 29 Feb [1856] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/45) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1834 |
To M. J. Berkeley 18 March [1856]
Summary
Thanks MJB for information which he is including in his article for the Linnean Society.
Refers to the peas "which produce the black or intensely purple pods". [See 1834 and 1836.]
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 18 Mar [1856] |
Classmark: | Joseph R. Sakmyster, ADS Autographs (dealer) (no date) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-1843A |
To M. J. Berkeley [26 November 1840]
Summary
Remarks that each of two species of Fagus separated by 1000 miles has a fungus that grows on it; the fungus species are probably closely allied.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | [26 Nov 1840] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/39) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-583 |
To M. J. Berkeley [March 1841]
Summary
Looks forward to the paper on CD’s edible fungus specimen from Tierra del Fuego [read 16 Mar 1841; Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 19 (1845): 37–43].
Sends a correction: Fagus betuloides, not F. antarctica, is the common tree of Tierra del Fuego.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | [Mar 1841] |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/47) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-591 |
To M. J. Berkeley 7 September 1868
Summary
Appreciates MJB’s address [Rep. BAAS 38 (1868): 83–7]. Has had great respect for MJB’s knowledge since his undergraduate days at Cambridge.
Agrees that Pangenesis gemmules probably do not develop into free cells, but penetrate other cells in a manner analogous to fertilisation, and modify their development.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Miles Joseph Berkeley |
Date: | 7 Sept 1868 |
Classmark: | Shropshire Archives (SA 6001/134/46) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-6353 |
letter | (12) |
Berkeley, M. J. | (10) |
Darwin, C. R. | (2) |