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He says, in effect, as I understand it, that there is some difference between sexual and asexual generation; and I for one have the "courage of my opinions"; and my opinion is, that that difference consists in this, that the sexual union affords a fresh starting point of life; and that no other process or system of generation does. Besides advertising locally, on the 9th February, 1876, I sent £10 to the "Times" with the following advertisement:—"Extinction of Potato Disease, with Doubled or Trebled Crops.—Modus Operandi.—Growth from the Seed. Exposure of plants to full force of infection. Destruction of those which succumb. Propagation of the rest by the Set. (In all places some plants will repel the attack of the parasite; in some, all.) Seed supplied gratis. Address Robertson, Brooman, & Co., 166 Fleet Street, London; or James Torbitt, Belfast, Ireland."
It elicited applications from a few ladies and clergymen only;—hardly a dozen from men of the world. Under these circumstances I made up my mind at once; I divided the seed into packages, each containing nine thousand seeds—one dram. (150 seeds of the potato weigh one grain Troy.) Each packet therefore possesses the "potentiality" of producing nine thousand new varieties of the plant. Of these, I think it will be found impossible to infect—to subject to the action of the Peronospora—more than eight thousand. Each packet therefore, is probably capable of producing one thousand new disease-proof varieties; out of which, surely there is room for selection and propagation from the tuber.
And with great respect, I now send one packet of this seed, accompanied with this paper, to each Member of the House of Lords, and each Member of the House of Commons; besides about a thousand others, applicants for the seed; and if the intrusion be considered unwarrantable, I beg leave to apologise.
But I do not think it will be looked on in that light, and what I would earnestly request, would be, that half-an-hour be devoted to the study of this paper, and that whatever conclusion may be arrived at, it shall be an independent one, perfectly unbiassed by the theories of Botanists, and if that opinion be favourable, I would suggest, that the seed be sown and orders issued that the instructions be carefully carried out, and the result noted.
I do not know if I might venture to suggest, that government
