Peter Collinson has got an opportunity to send Linnaeus a letter with Tobias Björk, and he is anxious to use it, firstly to ask about Linnaeus’s health, secondly to know if Linnaeus received his letter containing American seeds [Collinson to Linnaeus, 21 April 1740{L0383}]. Collinson had also written a letter before that, sent with Peter Filenius [that letter has not come down to us], whom he holds in high esteem, and he is sure Linnaeus received that. However, Linnaeus has not bothered about sending Collinson an answering letter.
Collinson is sure Linnaeus is not idle, and he asks what Linnaeus is working on.
As Linnaeus knows, there are several examples of varieties in flowers, caused by the mixture of pollen from different kinds. The cases of similar varieties in fruits are less numerous, but Collinson has just seen an example where two different species of apples, one russet and one green, have been mixed up because of such a mixture. The result is an apple, partly russet and partly green, with a distinct line between the two colours.
Collinson considers that the result is remarkable, and he provides a sketch of the fruit in the letter.
P. S. Collinson sends his regards to Filenius.
In the comments to the sketch, Collinson adds that the russet part dominates, although the fruit grows on the tree with green apples, making one kind more dominant than the other.
Collinson also mentions another example, although slightly dissimilar. Lord Wilmington [Spencer Compton] has a tree that produces nectarines and peaches; they do not mix, but the two kinds of fruits are produced quite distinct on the same tree.