| Reference number | NLB/52/74 |
| Alternative reference number | NLB/52 p44 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Copy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society to Professor John Bretland Farmer FRS |
| Date | 5 August 1915 |
| Description | 'Paper by Sir Francis Darwin on the Relation between Transpiration and Stomatal Aperture.
Dr V H Blackman reports as follows:
The work in this paper is cery interesting and the conclusion, if sound, of great important. The only question in doubt id whether the data warrants the conclusion drawn from them. The author admits that the experiments give very conflicting results, but seeks to overcome this difficulty by a multiplicity of observations. Some of the data, however, showed deviation from the mean of over 400 per cent, and in one of the tables (Table VII) if the average deviation from th mean on the first elevn observations is calculated it is found to be over 45 per cent. It seems very doubtful then whether the average result - on the fair agreement of which with theory the main conclusions of the paper are based - is not a purely fictitious on, i.e. due to the accidental cancelling out of the large differences. I would suggest that the paper be referred to some physicist and his opinion asked on this print specifically.
Will the Chairman plesae say what further action should be taken.' |
| Extent | 1p |
| Format | Carbon |
| Access status | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | Name | Dates |
| NA1831 | Farmer; Sir; John Bretland (1865 - 1944); botanist | 1865 - 1944 |