214 REPORT—1857. 
to think that Z. usitatissimum is but an annual form of ZL. perenne, so that 
this year I shall collect the seeds of my perennial patch with a view of com- 
mencing an annual cultivation. At all events, should I fail in proving this 
point, we may fairly expect other changes of great interest, seeing that so 
much has already been done in bringing a little straggling linseed from its 
wild habitat, and cultivating in a different soil and climate, not by imitating 
its wild conditions, but by making for it a new soil, and planting in rows so 
that one row has the effect of inducing the upright growth to its neighbour, 
—a fact readily seen in examining the growth of my plant as its shoots first 
start in a trailing method—a circumstance which shows that in order to test 
the capabilities of some plants for a crop, we can only do so not by growing 
single specimen examples, but by planting a quantity side by side. 
As subjects for experiment, it fortunately happens that the linseeds are 
readily affected by cultivative processes, so that we possess in them subjects 
capable of affording much information as the result of carefully conducted 
experiments, which leads me to remark that, as there are some tribes of 
plants which we cannot so easily act upon, permanency of our appointed 
species must not be concluded from the failure of our limited experiments, 
though, on the other hand, species must give way in those cases where as the 
result of properly conducted experiment the seed of one plant can be made 
to produce what has been considered as a distinctly specific form. 
As regards medicinal plants, such specimens as Hyoscyamus, Datura, 
Papaver album, Coriander, and Caraway seem to do remarkably well in a 
not over-good soil and with but little trouble, so that where a market can be 
got for the produce, it might be worth while to attend to their cultivation, 
especially in corners. 
I shall here only remark upon experiments with the Datura Stramonium 
and D. Tatula. A plot of each of these species was sown side by side, the 
former from seed grown in the district; the latter from seed kindly commu- 
nicated by Mr. Savory the eminent apothecary and chemist, of New Bond- 
street. Of the former not one seed came up, whilst of the latter several 
plants at the time of my writing are in great perfection. I am informed by 
Mr. Savory that this species is highly valuable as a remedial agent, it being 
much more active and uniform in its action than the D. Stramonium; and 
he recommends it in the shape of cigars. Though these plants have been 
referred to under distinct names, there can, I think, be but little doubt that 
they are only varieties. The flowers of my specimens are but very slightly 
tinctured with purple. These plants are very abundant in the United States, 
the tinctured variety being much more common towards the South than in 
the Northern States, and it is not at all improbable that the want of colour in 
my specimens is the result of the cold, exposed climate of my garden, and ~ 
poor soil in which I have planted them*. 
7. Weeps. —In this class I would notice the following plots:—a. Allium 
wineale; b. Carduus acaulis and others. 
a. A plot was planted in the spring of 1856 with young plants of Allium 
vineale with the view of showing my class its method of growth, I pointing 
out to them how to get rid of so direful a pest. In the summer it had 
grown to good flowering heads, when, fearing lest it should overrun the 
garden, I had them pulled up and put into a weed fire to burn. The 
plot was left untouched until the spring of 1857, when to my astonishment 
young plants shot up, and the rows of this plot were as complete as in the 
former season. Upon reflection I saw in this a lesson which I had not my- 
* Beck in his ‘ United States Botany’ gives the D. Tatula as a variety of D. Stramo- 
nium. The former is called the Indian, and the latter the American thorn-apple. 
— F 
iw ee 
