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Notice of ^ The Gardener's Magazine of Botaxy^ Nos. 18 and 19, 



July and August, 1851. 



The contributions to the July number are intituled : — 

 ' Acacia grandis,' being a description, history, &c., of a very showy 

 greenhouse shrub, supposed to come from New Holland. 



' Vegetable Physiology ; by Arthur Henfrey, Esq., F.L.S., &c.' 

 ' On the Culture of Asparagus ; by Mr. J, Towers.' 

 * The points which constitute perfection in the Indian Azalea ; by 

 Mr. G. Glenny, F.H.S.' 



' Literary Notices :' — Hooker's ' Species Filicum,' Hogg's ' British 

 Pomology,' Paul's ' Cultivation of Roses in Pots,' ' Donald on Land- 

 draining,' ' Victoria Regia,' and ' Domestic Pigs.' It requires rather 

 a fertile imagination to trace the connexion of the last-named work 

 with the science of botany. The following remark on the ' Species 

 Filicum ' is good and true : — " It appears to us that Sir W. Hooker 

 studies ferns chiefly in his herbarium, which no doubt contains most 

 valuable and extensive materials ; but experience teaches us that 

 many fei'ns cannot be safely dealt with in a dried state, and that to 

 understand them thoroughly, fresh and perfectly developed specimens 

 should be examined. The study of imperfect specimens in Natural 

 History very often leads to the expression of artificial characters ex- 

 tremely puzzling to the student; and if this be true generally, it is 

 especially so in reference to that class of plants which forms the sub- 

 ject of these remarks. Nature in her own proper and complete con- 

 dition — the living plant — that, whenever practicable, should be made 

 the groundwork of scientific enquiry." Now this brief passage 

 exactly explains the wide discrepancy between the conclusions 

 published by Sir William Hooker, as regards the limits of species, 

 and those which I have ventin-ed to express. Hence arise two 

 schools of investigators — those of the closet and of the field. Every 

 closet-botanist will probably agree with Sir William Hooker in the 

 desire to unite all the forms of spinulose Lastrea, while every field- 

 botanist will agree with me in wishing to have them separated ; and 

 the latter, in spite of all the prestige attaching to the great name of 

 Hooker, are right, simply because they study " Nature in her own 

 proper and complete condition." 



'Reminiscences of Rhododendron Culture; by an Amateur of Lei- 

 cester.' 



' Botanical Fragments :' — Hybrids. "The leading considerations 

 Vol IV. 2 q 



