522 



MISCELLANEOUS BOTANICAL LETTERS. [1881-2. 



by the aid of a sum to which Sir T. Farrer, Mr. Caird, my 

 father, and a few friends, subscribed. 



My father's sympathy and encouragement were highly 

 valued by Mr. Torbitt, who tells me that without them he 

 should long ago have given up his attempt. A few extracts 

 will illustrate my father's fellow feeling with Mr. Torbitt's 

 energy and perseverance : 



"I admire your indomitable spirit. If any one ever 

 deserved success, you do so, and I keep to my original 

 opinion that you have a very good chance of raising a fungus- 

 proof variety of the potato. 



" A pioneer in a new undertaking is sure to meet with 

 many disappointments, so I hope that you will keep up your 

 courage, though we have done so very little for you." 



Mr. Torbitt tells me that he still (1887) succeeds in raising 

 varieties possessing well-marked powers of resisting disease ; 

 but this immunity is not permanent, and, after some years, 

 the varieties become liable to the attacks of the fungus.] 



THE KEW INDEX OF PLANT-NAMES, OR ' NOMENCLATOR 

 DARWINIANUS '. 



[Some account of my father's connection with the Index of 

 Plant-names now (1887) in course of preparation at Kew will 

 be found in Mr. B. Daydon Jackson's paper in the ' Journal 

 of Botany,' 1887, p. 151. Mr. Jackson quotes the following 

 statement by Sir J. D. Hooker : 



" Shortly before his death, Mr. Charles Darwin informed 

 Sir Joseph Hooker that it was his intention to devote a con- 

 siderable sum of money annually for some years in aid or 

 furtherance of some work or works of practical utility to bio- 

 logical science, and to make provisions in his will in the 

 event of these not being completed during his lifetime. 



" Amongst other objects connected with botanical science, 

 Mr. Darwin regarded with especial interest the importance of 

 a complete index to the names and authors of the genera and 



