1878.] MISCELLANEOUS BOTANICAL LETTERS. 52 1 



not utilised by the Government, or some public body, 

 and the process of selection continued during several more 

 generations. 



Should the Agricultural Society undertake the work, Mr. 

 Torbitt's knowledge gained by experience would be especially 

 valuable ; and an outline of the plan is given in his printed 

 letter. It would be necessary that all the tubers produced 

 by each plant should be collected separately, and carefully 

 examined in each succeeding generation. 



It would be advisable that some kind of potato eminently 

 liable to the disease should be planted in considerable num- 

 bers near the seedlings so as to infect them. 



Altogether the trial would be one requiring much care and 

 extreme patience, as I know from experience with analogous 

 work, and it may be feared that it would be difficult to find 

 any one who would pursue the experiment with sufficient 

 energy. It seems, therefore, to me highly desirable that 

 Mr. Torbitt should be aided with some small grant so as to 

 continue the work himself. 



Judging from his reports, his efforts have already been 

 crowned in so short a time with more success than could 

 have been anticipated ; and I think you will agree with me, 

 that any one who raises a fungus-proof potato will be a public 

 benefactor of no common kind. 



My dear Farrer, yours sincerely, 



Charles Darwin. 



[After further consultation with Sir Thomas Farrer and 

 with Mr. Caird, my father became convinced that it was 

 hopeless to attempt to obtain Government aid. He wrote to 

 Mr. Torbitt to this effect, adding, " it would be less trouble 

 to get up a subscription from a few rich leading agriculturists 

 than from Government. This plan I think you cannot object 

 to, as you have asked nothing, and will have nothing whatever 

 to do with the subscription. In fact, the affair is, in my 

 opinion, a compliment to you." The idea here broached was 

 carried out, and Mr. Torbitt was enabled to continue his work 



