RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1878]. Beans / Slicing. CUL-DAR209.5.24-25. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Prepared and edited by John van Wyhe. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volume CUL-DAR209.5 contains materials for Darwin's book Movement in plants (1880).
24
1
Slicing
May 25th 78
The four beans used in the hot water surface exper were used. One A broken was too curly to be used, three others 10 pm B, C, D [illeg] sliced with a razor. They are in an open vessel & roots dip into water
Put in the a dark cupboard in my room: no fire: abt 14°C 57—58F
May 26th 10. 20 AM ie after 12° All three slightly curved away from the cut sides
10 25AM .sliced 3 roots [illeg] E, F, G used for the cold water surface experiment. (H was broken accidentally)
6. 30 pm No change in B, C, D, (E F, G ie after 8°
May 27th 8 AM. B, C, D clearly bent from cuts. The beans E, F. G are two deep in the water corrected this
May 28th 9 AM.
G & E bend away from cuts ie I my say aft 24°
F bends not away from cut but not opposed to it either ie not towards it
13/18 — 14/18 — of the 4 long ra ones 3 rose sly, & one was more bent but neither from nor toward the cut surface
5/6
24v
March 15
Lily Rubus
Fresh St
8. 30 } rubbed out
8. 30
9. 30 long way from light window 9. 30
fresh starts
o 10. 15
10. 18
11. 10 — 11. 10 hardly move fresh st
12 10 window
10. 15
11. 10
12. 10 Fresh st 12. 15 1 .5
1. 5
2. 10 2. 10
3 10
3. 10
4. —4
5. 20 —5 20
6.45 —6 45
7 35 —7 35
8. ?
9. 27 —9. 27
— 10 37 —10 37
— 8 35 AM —8 35
25
2
Slicing
May 27th /78
6 beans pinned to cork cover of glass vessel. Roots in the air.
Cuts made as small as possible with razor about parallel to or a little steeper that one side of the tip of the root. In slicing & afterwards in examining the roots I look at them &
(left hand diagram labels)
front
(right hand diagram labels)
thus:—
L
R
& call the side facing me front, the other side or that looking towards the bean itself is the back; the lateral surfaces I call Rt & Left. |Dark cupboard no fire in room Temp 14' to 16 by day|
When sliced where cut Examined 11. pm Direction bent Ex. 9AM May 28— N.B growing with tips in water the pot was filled up at 11pm
2. 45 1 Rt L ?? L 19°
no change 10 30 pm
10. 35 2 Left R R 22° 30'
—"—
—"— 3 R back & L L & back 22°. 30'
—"—
—"— 4 L front no bend no bend 22. 30
slight Rt back
2. 45 5 back no bend no bend 19
Ono bend
10. 35 6 Left back? straight 22° 30'
backward bend
57° — 61° F.
(May 27, PM)
2. 35 No where cut Examined may 28 9 AM examined again 10 30 pm
2. 35 7 L straight 19' 19
nothing new
— 8 L Rt 19
— 9 R L back 19
8/12 acted & 9/12 within
— 10 L front Rt 19
— 11 L front Rt 19
— 12 R back L forward; 19
(this only applies to cut tip; the rest of root is bent into a serpentine form rather.)
All these had root tips in water
12° 3 after
8 examine aft 19°
4 after 22°. 30
3 after rather above 24°
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 27 January, 2026