374 Mr Philip Sewell's Observations upon the 



Such differences form the basis for the practical know- 

 ledge gained by the clever gardener, who asserts with 

 confidence that such and such species are easily raised from 

 seed, others not so. For anything that we know, there 

 may be practical men who could run over the species of 

 Salvia here enumerated, and assert of one species or another 

 that it would be easy to grow in gardens in Britain or on 

 the Eiviera, or the reverse. Perhaps it is from lack of 

 leisure, or from the idea that generalisations on the subject 

 would always be useless and uncertain, that such men, who 

 are the most practical observers, never attempt to make more 

 than suggestions why some species succeed and others do 

 not. But we are almost confident that series of careful 

 observations of such a kind as we have brought forward 

 would do much to establish in our minds clear ideas of 

 cultural requirements as evidenced by the external morpho- 

 logy of the plants we attempt to grow ; or, what is the same 

 thing, the external characters may, we believe, be associated 

 definitely with the habitat preferred by the species. 



Unfortunately for us, in this particular instance there is 

 very little information as to exact habitats, in such botanical 

 works at least as we have had access to, to guide us in 

 making a full comparison. We are also aware how difficult 

 it is for a traveller during a short visit to distinguish in a 

 very precise way as to what are the exact habitats affected 

 by plants collected. It is work, nevertheless, which will 

 repay persistent and careful research. 



The facts given in tables earlier in the present paper 

 show us, that as carefully as we can ascertain, with such 

 observations as have been recorded, out of the total number of 

 seeds sown, among species with glabrous and dark coloured 

 leaves, 33 per cent, have germinated successfully ; 25 per 

 cent, have germinated amongst those species with lighter 

 coloured leaves, which are but sparsely covered with hairs ; 

 15 per cent, only of the seeds of those species with very dis- 

 tinctly pubescent or hairy leaves. We would wish to avoid 

 anything like a hasty rushing to a conclusion ; but it would 

 appear that in this case, and, as a rule, glabrous-leaved 

 plants suggest a damper habitat than that suggested by 

 hirsute or pubescent leaves ; damp-loving plants would, we 

 think, fare better under such conditions as those in which 



