■ - 1 88 1 3 JODRELL LAI rOR\ 4 1 ,~ 



used until well provided ; and the mere fact of the instruments Letter 745 

 bein ready may suggest to some one to use them. You at 

 Kew, as guardians and promoters of botanical science, will 

 then have done all in your power, and if your Lab. is i, 

 used the disgrace will lie at the I f the public But until 



bitter experience proves the contrary I will never believe tl. 

 we are so backward. I should think the German laboratory 

 would be very good guides as t<- what to get ; but Timiriazeff 

 of Moscow, who travelled over Europe to see all Bot. Labs., 

 ami who seemed so good a fellow, would, I should think, give 

 the best list of the most indispensable instruments. Lately I 

 thought of getting Frank or Horace to go to Cambridge for 

 the use of the heliostat there; but our observations turned 

 out of less importance than I thought ; yet if there had been 

 one at Kew we should probably have used it, and might have 

 found out something curious. It is impossible for me I 

 predict whether or not we should ever want this or that 

 instrument, for we are guided in our work by what turns up. 

 Thus 1 am now observing something about geotropism, and 

 I hail no idea a few weeks ago that this would have been 

 necessary. In a short time we might earnestly wish for a 

 centrifugal apparatus or a heliostat. In all such cases it 

 would make a great difference if a man knew that he could 

 a particular instrument without great loss of time. 1 

 have now given my opinion, which is very decided, whether 

 right or wrong, and Frank quite a with me. You can, 



of course, show this letter to 1 looker. 



To F. Ludwig. Letter 746 



ii. May 29th, I ! 



I think you sincerely for the trouble which you have- 

 taken in sending me so long and interesting a lett ether 

 with the specimens. Gradations are always very valuable, 

 and you have been remarkably successful in discovering the 

 stages by which the Piantago* has become gyno-dicecious. 

 Your view of its origin, from being proterogynous, seems to 

 me very probable, especially as the females are . illy the 



■.-flowering plants. If you can prove the reverse case with 



1 See F. Ludv. Isch./.tLGt Bd. I. II.. 1879. Pro- 



fessor Ludwiy's observations are quoted in the preface to Forms of 

 Flowers^ Ed. 11., p. i\. 



VOL. II. 



