RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [ny].09.30. Cabbage & Sea-kale. CUL-DAR68.124. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 4.2023. 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-DAR68 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.
[124]
Cabbage & SeaKale
Sept. 30' at 10° 50 fe cleaned portion of leaves of both plants with S. Ether & put on drops of water & put other drops on the leaves with thin bloom.
These latter drops kept for 24° 23° 40' spherical, the others spread a little. The temp. of House was for about 14d. about 66° Fah. & for rest of time varying from 70° to 76° & for short time 78°.
The leaves stood with cut-off end in wet sand.
The water removed & evaporated, & there was a marked difference in amt of matter extracted in both cases. There was more water in the 3 globules on the leaves & yet, though a plain mark was left, I could not scrape off any matter, which I could do from the lesser drops which had rested on the parts cleaned of bloom. This matter was rather viscid & brown.
So it was with the water on the Sea-Kale leaf. —
But I made a mistake in keeping the leaves so warm, as the water may have acted slightly on the wax — Keep another lot in Billiard room.
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 13 July, 2023