RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1879.03.06. Beans / Radicles / Sensitiveness to contact. CUL-DAR209.5.37-38. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 5.2023. 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).
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March 6th 1879. Radicles Beans Sensitiveness to contact.
Bean germinated at in wet fine red sand. Temp of room range only 1º from 59ºF.— Suspended with cards attached. Temp. 52º 1/2 to Cards & touches of shell-lac all on right side of apex of R.— bean facing me in usual manner.
8º 5' a.m
(1) with card & shell-lac X — 4º 35' P.m. & curved (7th. 7º 45' a.m now straight
(2) like (1) (7th 8º a.m decidedly curved from sqr) X
(3) (like 1) 4º 35 almost rectangular X (7th. 8º a.m almost straight
(4) like (1) 4º 35 doubtfully curved — (7th 8º am very slight affected) 7th 4º 30 put on gum & card 8th 8' a.m cu much curved X
(5) like (1) (7th 8º a.m curved at 45º from perpendicular & from card) X
(6) like (1) 4º 35 a trace of little curvature (7th curved but almost in direction of Sach. X?
Slip
(7) touched with shell-lac a little spread on sqr of card & then apex touched with the card
7th 8º a m no effect — 4º 30 put on gum & card 8th 8º a.m greatly curved X card dropped off
(8) (like 7) (7th 8º a.m no effect
(over)
[1v]
(Conclusion)
This paper is conclusive that shell-lac by itself causes very slight movement— The 2 which acted have been sent to Leonard to weigh.— All then can be said that with the scale which at the time I could use turned fairly well with 1/100 of grain. & the two little bits together hardly showed any movement ∴ less than 1/200 of grain!!!
It further shows that now in spring the little square of card whether shell-lacced or gummed on act as perfectly as before— Insist on mysterious condition which in winter stopped them acting— was it cold at night.— or did I keep them too warm.—
(I subsequently tried 4 radicles of Beans which had germinated after all the others & which grew slowly, though apparently healthy, & after affixing cards with gum even after 24 h were hardly at all acted on— slow growing seems to interfere with sensibility & this throws light on results in dead of winter.
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March 6 — 1879 continued
(9) (like 7) (7th 8º am no effect), put on card with gum, 4º 30' P.m much curved from card about 45 X
(10) (like 7) 6th 4º 35' P.m only little X curved (7th 8º a.m no effect now): put on card & gum. 4º. 30' P.m curved almost at rt angles from card X
11. (like 7) 7th 8º a.m no effect: put on card & gum 4º 30' P.m curved almost at right angles X
12 like (7) 4º 35. decidedly curved X (7th 8º a.m 23º now quite straight): put on card & gum, 4º 30 curved about at right angles X
13 (like 7) (7th 8º a.m quite straight: put on card & gum, 4º 30' P.m slipped down parallel no effect; fixed again 4º 30' put on gum & card.
14 (like 7) (7th 8º am quite straight
15 (like 7) (7th 8º am quite straight
N.B The difference of the 6 with square & the 9 with many shell-lac conspicuously great.
7th
8º 5'
Put on gum & cards on several for drawing after removing shell lac
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 25 July, 2023