212 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



stances, of climate, soil, and situation, and that there did not exist any 

 decided line of absolute sterility in hybrid vegetables ; though from reasons 

 which I did not pretend to be able to develope, but undoubtedly depending 

 upon certain affinities either of structure or constitution, there was a greater 

 disposition to fertility in some than in others. Subsequent experiments have 

 confirmed this view to such a degree, as to make it almost certain that the 

 fertility of the hybrid or mixed offspring depends more upon the constitution 

 than the closer botanical affinities of the parents. The most striking and 

 unanswerable proof of this fact was offered by the genus Crinum, which is 

 spread round the whole belt of the globe, within the tropics, and within a 

 certain distance from them, under a greater variety of circumstances affecting 

 the constitution of individuals, which, nevertheless readily intermix when 

 brought together by human agency. The plant called Crinum capense, (for- 

 merly Amaryllis longifoli,) impregnated by either Crinum zeylanicum, or 

 scabrum, both at that time also called Amaryllis, produced offspring, which 

 during sixteen years proved sterile, probably because notwithstanding their 

 botanical affinity, the first is an extra tropical aquatic plant, and the two 

 latter tropical plants which affect drier habitations, and readily rot, at least 

 in this climate, in a wet situation. The same C. Capense, impregnated by 

 Crinum preduncalatum, canaliculatum, or defixum, produces a fertile cross, 

 though they are so dissimilar as to have been placed in different genera ; and 

 the author was formerly reproved by botanists, as having committed an absur- 

 dity, when he insisted upon uniting them. The reason of the fertility of 

 their joint produce, seems to be that tbey are all aquatic or swamp plants ; 

 and it may be further observed, that the crosses with the two former, the 

 plants being all extra-tropical, are much more fertile than that between C. 

 Capense aud defixum, because the latter is a tropical plant. The mules 

 Scabrum and Capense having continued so many years with every appearance 

 of absolute sterility, without any change of situation or treatment, at last pro- 

 duced one good seed in 1834, and another in 1835. These facts were of such 

 an overbearing nature, that it become impossible for those who had charged 

 the author with absurdity for uniting the parents under the genus Crinum, to 

 which even certain other plants were then asserted to be more nearly allied, 

 than the species at that time called Amaryllis, to contend any longer that 

 they producing a fertile offspring were of different genera, and they will pro- 

 bably be never again disunited in any botanical work ; but the facts furnish 

 much ground for the serious consideration of men of science. It happens as if 

 expressly designed to overthrow the theory, that the identity of species is 

 proved by fertility or sterility in the mixed issue; that while C. Capense zey- 

 lanicum and Scabrum are very similar in their general appearance, and 

 yield an offspring which has been found quite sterile, except in the case of the 

 two seeds above mentioned, C. Capense and Pedunculatum, are as unlike, as 

 perhaps any two species of any known genus ; and if it were asserted that C. 

 Capense and Pedunculatum are one species ; and C. Capense and Scabrum 

 two species, the assertion would appear to any person looking at the plants, 

 too preposterous to require a serious answer. 



On Models for Flower Gardens — At some of the Floral Exhibitions 

 recently held in, and about London, we saw several models of flower gardens 

 formed with considerable skill, so as not only to be highly interesting objects, 

 but very instructive. Green moss was placed so as to represent turf, sand 

 ior gravel, and flowers of a kind in masses to represent flower beds filled 

 with flowers. Persons desirous of seeing something of the effect of a certain 

 plan, would be able by such a prepared model to form an idea of its effect, 

 if so constructed as a garden; or to see the contrast of arranging the colours 

 even in a garden already formed. We think it would be useful to encour- 

 age the production of models of flower gardens, lawns with beds, and even 

 kitchen gardens, plantations, and parks, by showing the grouping of various 

 kinds of trees, &c. If Floral Societies would offer prizes for the construction 

 of models formed after this manner, we feel confident it would meet with 



