The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. & Francis Darwin. [1877].08-09.13. Yew Berries. CUL-DAR66.164-164v. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 3.2023. 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-DAR66 contains notes on 'bloom'. Francis Darwin explained: "His researches into the meaning of the 'bloom,' or waxy coating found on many leaves, was one of those inquiries which remained unfinished at the time of his death. He amassed a quantity of notes on the subject". LL3: 339. See an Introduction to these folders by Christine Chua & John van Wyhe.

[164]

Yew Berries

Aug 18th 10˚ 45 10 cleaned delicately with tongue & lips & 10 not touched on twigs — syringed.

― 25. one with bloom mouldy.

26 a 2d do do

27 3d & 4th — do rotten.

29th 5th — do. do.

30 6th slightly rotten

Sept 6th at last 3 of those & without bloom are half-rotten.

8' 1 with bloom half-rotten

13' 1 cleaned decayed

15 1 cleaned decayed & somewhat dried

17. 1 cleaned rotten

18 1 with bloom.— 19th 3 cleaned rotten

Sept. 24'} 2 with bloom in wretched state not decayed

1 cleaned moderately good thrown away.—)

Some other cases show that cleaning bloom & syringing delays ripening & I suppose rotting is a consequence of full ripening: Mem: how much exosmose occur with cleaned berries

18th 11˚ 15' 8 cleaned & uncleaned left dry.

3 of cleaned & only 1 with bloom a little wrinkled & dry

Sept 1. 3 of cleaned plainly wrinkled & all others look a little shrunk; whilst of those with bloom only 1 & that an injured one wrinkled —

Sept 2d the cleaned have altogether a drier look. —

Sept 4th. 5 of the cleaned now shrivelled & only 1 with bloom.

(Sept 6th The 3 other cleaned ones now slightly shrivelled: of those with bloom only the injured ones much shrivelled, but all others are now slightly shrivelled like the 3 cleaned ones.) (a)

18' 11˚ 45 6 cleaned + 6 in distilled water.

The cleaned ones sunk by a weight.—

Aug 20 the water with cleaned berries certainly more turbid. (see

[164v]

(a) Sept 13' If we put on one side the one with bloom which was injured, there can be no doubt that the clean lot as a whole are more shrivelled than those with bloom, but the drying has been so slow & difference not very great cannot be of any importance to the plant.

[164vr]

Yew — water containing cleaned berries Frank examined & saw Bacteria under microscope. — proves excretion of nitrogenous matter.—clearly much muddier

Aug 22 10 AM

Yew; cleaned water still more muddy & smells unpleasant whereas there is no smell to not cleaned: The cloudiness consists of masses of Bacteria. The not cleaned is also a little muddy & contains Bacteria. They do not require gauze or lead wire to sink them.

Two castor oil cleaned withered & yellow at lips of spines:

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)