Volume I Part 36 (2/2)

I have had one experiress, which will, I think, be interesting, narees, which I have and shall long have, as I filled a great tank with snow When I wrote last I was going to triuree succeeded; but this, with infinite baseness, I did not tell, in hopes that you would say that you would eat all the plants which I could raise after i that I cannot in the least remember what you did formerly say that made me think you scoffed at the experiood Christian I have in small bottles out of doors, exposed to variation of tees, lettuces, carrots, and celery, and onion seed--four great families These, after ierht how you would sneer at me); for the water of nearly all, and of the cress especially, smelt very badly, and the cress seed ees' would have expected them to turn into tadpoles), so as to adhere in a ermination of all (especially cress and lettuces) has been accelerated, except the cabbages, which have coood ht, froe would have stood well The Umbelliferae and onions see them I have written to the ”Gardeners' Chronicle” (A feords asking for information The results were published in the 'Gardeners' Chronicle,' May 26, Novee 789) he sent a PS to his for a feords on the seeds of the Leguermination of seeds after treatment in salt water, appeared in the 'Linnaean Soc Journal,' 1857, page 130), though I doubt whether it orth while If my success seeet you to mark some different classes of seeds To-day I replant the same seeds as above after fourteen days' io a ht be transported 168 o fifty and sixty eese are always swans

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER [April 14th, 1855]

You are a good man to confess that you expected the cress would be killed in a week, for this gives me a nice little triuer, and asked me often, ”whether I should beat Dr Hooker!” The cress and lettuce have just vegetated well after twenty-one days' ireat virtue inyou everything I do

If you knew some of the experi, you would have a good right to sneer, for they are so ABSURD even in MY opinion that I dare not tell you

Have not so? I have had a letter tellingsalt water, for otherwise how could they get to islands? This is the true way to solve a problem!

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Down [1855]

My dear Hooker,

You have been a very goodtwo notes to me; you could not have taken a better line inyour satisfaction in confounding h confounded--those horrid seeds, which, as you truly observe, if they sink they won't float

I have written to Scoresby and have had a rather dry answer, but veryht arrest their everlasting descent into the deepest depths of the ocean By the way it was very odd, but I talked to Col Sabine for half an hour on the subject, and could not make him see with respect to transportal the difficulty of the sinking question! The bore is, if the confounded seeds will sink, I have been taking all this trouble in salting the ungrateful rascals for nothing

Everything has been going wrong with ical Society ate up lots of soaked seeds, and in iination they had in my mind been sed, fish and all, by a heron, had been carried a hundred erminated splendidly, when lo and behold, the fish ejected veheust equal tothese troubles to Mr Fox, my father wrote:--”All nature is perverse and will not do as I wish it; and just at present I wish I hadnew” The experiment ultimately succeeded, and he wrote to Sir J Hooker:--”I find fish will greedily eat seeds of aquatic grasses, and that iven to a stork, and then voided, will germinate So this is the nursery rhy,' etc, etc,”)

But I a yet: in first place I h of course it seems far more probable that they will sink; and secondly, as a last resource, Iwashed into the sea; with floods and slips and earthquakes; this , and if kept wet, I fancy the pods, etc etc, would not open and shed their seeds

Do try your Mimosa seed at Kew

I had intended to have asked you whether the Mirows at Kew, to try fresh seeds R Brown tells me he believes four W Indian seeds have been washed on shores of Europe

I was assured at Keeling Island that seeds were not rarely washed on shore: so float they

If you have several of the Loffoden seeds, do soak soet planted with the utmost care: this is an experiainst its success

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Down, May 11th [1855]

My dear Hooker,--I have just received your note I alad at the news (The appointment of Sir JD Hooker as assistant Director of the Royal Gardens at Kew) it contains, and so is h the income is but a poor one, yet the certainty, I hope, is satisfactory to yourself and Mrs Hooker As it must lead in future years to the Directorshi+p, I do hope you look at it, as a piece of good fortune For my own taste I cannot fancy a pleasanter position, than the Head of such a noble and splendid place; far better, I should think, than a Professorshi+p in a great town The ladder I am But I will say no more; except that I hope Mrs Hooker is pretty well pleased

As the ”Gardeners' Chronicle” put in my question, and took notice of it, I think I a next week,it; but I think it likely that heperiodical

When my experiments are ended (should the results appear worthy) and should the 'Linnean Journal' not object to the previous publication of imperfect and provisional reports, I should be DELIGHTED to insert the final report there; for it has cost me so much trouble, that I should think that probably the result orthy of more permanent record than a newspaper; but I think I ain to think the floating questionall the inquiries which I can on the subject, and hope to get soood ue to you, and I hope you will not be Treasurer for long: I knoould ive up the Club than be its Treasurer

Farewell, Mr assistant Director and dear friend, C DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER June 5th, 1855