Charles Darwin's correspondence with David Moore of Glasnevin on insectivorous plants and potatoes

Nelson, E. Charles; Seaward, M. R. D.

doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1981.tb00755.x

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…David Moore (1807 Dundee, Scotland-1879, Ireland had a special interest in insectivorous plants (Nelson and Seaward 1981), and ''orchids were probably just another group of plants to '' him (Dr. E. C. Nelson, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland, personal communication). Still, he showed some interest in orchids as evidenced by an article on the importation of orchids and a description of a Catasetum (Moore 1834;Nelson 1981). Also, on becoming director of the Glasnevin Botanical Gardens, he added many plants to the initial collection of 65 orchid species (Nelson 1981).…”

Section: Early Attemptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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History of orchid propagation: a mirror of the history of biotechnology

Yam

Arditti

2009

Plant Biotechnol Rep

113

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Orchid seeds are nearly microscopic in size. Because of that, many fanciful theories were proposed for the origin of orchids. Almost 400 years separate the time when orchid seeds were seen for the first time and the development of a practical asymbiotic method for their germination. The seeds were first observed and drawn during the sixteenth century. Seedlings were first described and illustrated in 1804. The association between orchid and fungi was observed as early as 1824, while the requirement for mycorrhiza for seed germination was established in 1899. An asymbiotic method for orchid seed germination was developed in 1921. After Knudson's media B and C were formulated, orchids growing and hybridization became widespread. Hybrids which early growers may not have even imagined became possible.

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Section: Early Attemptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Still, he showed some interest in orchids as evidenced by an article on the importation of orchids and a description of a Catasetum (Moore 1834;Nelson 1981). Also, on becoming director of the Glasnevin Botanical Gardens, he added many plants to the initial collection of 65 orchid species (Nelson 1981).…”

Section: Early Attemptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

History of orchid propagation: a mirror of the history of biotechnology

Yam

Arditti

2009

Plant Biotechnol Rep

113

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“…When describing Charles Darwin's correspondence with David Moore (of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin), Nelson and Seaward (1981) mentioned James Torbitt, based on Francis Darwin's (1887) edition of his father's correspondence. Torbitt himself quoted from Francis Darwin's work in one of his advertisements (see below), as it contained nominal references to him.…”

Section: James Torbitt Of Belfastmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Torbitt himself quoted from Francis Darwin's work in one of his advertisements (see below), as it contained nominal references to him. Nelson and Seaward (1981) and Nelson (1983Nelson ( , 1995 speculate that Moore may have co-operated with Torbitt, but neither man mentioned the other in their known publications, and there is no trace in Burkhardt and Smith (1994) that Darwin, who corresponded with both on the subject of potatoes (Nelson 1981), facilitated their contact. Veak (2003) registered Torbitt as a minor correspondent but neither potatoes nor potato blight were mentioned.…”

Section: James Torbitt Of Belfastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correspondence of Charles Darwin on James Torbitt's project to breed blight-resistant potatoes

DeArce

2008

Archives of Natural History

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The most prolific of Darwin's correspondents from Ireland was James Torbitt, an enterprising grocer and wine merchant of 58 North Street, Belfast. Between February 1876 and March 1882, 141 letters were exchanged on the feasibility and ways of supporting one of Torbitt's commercial projects, the large-scale production and distribution of true potato seeds (Solan um tuberosum) to produce plants resistant to the late blight fungus Phytophthora infestans, the cause of repeated potato crop failures and thus the Irish famines in the nineteenth century. Ninety-three of these letters were exchanged between Torbitt and Darwin, and 48 between Darwin and third parties, seeking or offering help and advice on the project. Torbitt's project required selecting the small proportion of plants in an infested field that survived the infection, and using those as parents to produce seeds. This was a direct application of Darwin's principle of selection. Darwin cautiously lobbied high-ranking civil servants in London to obtain government funding for the project, and also provided his own personal financial support to Torbitt.

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“…This became a fuller and very negative review of The origin in 1860 (Haughton 1860). In the initial days after the publication of The origin Darwin delighted in collecting opinions about his book, but Haughton was ''too coarse, too horrid'' (Burkhardt et al 1993) David Moore was curator of the Royal Dublin Society's botanic gardens at Glasnevin throughout the period of the potato blight in the 1840s, and he contributed to the establishment of the pathogenic effect of Phytophthora (Nelson 1995;Nelson and Seaward 1980). Moore kept a constant interest in the subject, corresponding with Darwin on potato issues in 1874 and 1879.…”

Section: The 'Official' Silence Of Dublin-based Naturalists Regardingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Darwin's Irish Correspondence

DeArce¹

2008

Biology & Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acade

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Charles Darwin's correspondence with David Moore of Glasnevin on insectivorous plants and potatoes

Cited by 9 publications

References 4 publications

History of orchid propagation: a mirror of the history of biotechnology

History of orchid propagation: a mirror of the history of biotechnology

Correspondence of Charles Darwin on James Torbitt's project to breed blight-resistant potatoes

Darwin's Irish Correspondence

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