543 BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. [May, 



and far behind the intelligence of the present day, and not in a condition 

 to snpply our modern wants. Science advances so rapidly in these times, 

 that a scientific work requires revision, modification, alteration, and addi- 

 tion in a space of time less than the half of a quarter of a century. New 

 materials have to be incorporated, and erroneous views and misrepre- 

 sented facts have to be rectified or expunged. 



" Besides, while France, Germany, England, Italy, Sweden, and Switzer- 

 land have recent Floras, we are still obliged to resort to the old treatises 

 which were compiled when our knowledge of the subject was neither so 

 comprehensive nor so complete as it is at the present day. 



" The neighbouring kingdom of Holland has set an example to us (Bel- 

 gians) in undertaking the publication of a Flora of the country, compiled 

 from the 'Prodromus Florae Batavae,' 'Flora van Noord-Nederland,' etc. 



"The learned Professor promises, in an introductory preface, to narrate 

 the progress of Belgian botany from the middle of the last century to 

 the present time ; to enumerate and characterize the authors who have 

 made the Floras of this kingdom their special study, and to show the 

 influence which local explorers have had on the progress of the science. 



" In the Systematic part of the work all the plants will be enumerated, 

 with their synonyms, taken from general works, and from Belgian autho- 

 rities. Every species will be accompanied with its census, distribution, 

 and other phytogeographical details. Finally, a large portion of the species 

 will be followed by critical remarks, complete descriptions, etc., and several 

 critical species will form the subjects of extended monographs. 



" The work will form a handsome volume, and the price to subscribers 

 will be 6 francs. When published, the price to non-subscribers will be 

 8 francs. 



" Intending subscribers should send their names and addresses to M. 

 Mayolez, 35, Rue de I'lmperatrice, Bruxelles." 



The Editor of the ' Phytologist ' wishes that the subscription-list may 

 be as great as the merits of the learned author of the proposed publication. 



To the Editor of the ' Phytologist.^ 



Sir, — I notice in 'Phytologist' for April, a description of "Roman 

 Oats," which are said to have recently shown themselves on the farm of 

 Mr. Binks, Pepper Moor, near Alnwick. We hope that Mr. Binks will 

 substantiate his statements more completely, in order that they may ob- 

 tain more implicit credit. I happen to have seen the oats exhibited at 

 the Battersea Park Show, where they had a place at our stand, and were 

 very generally inspected. The conclusion come to by every one was, that 

 there was a very trifling distinction among all the so-called varieties, and 

 that not one of them merited a new name. As for the globular heads, 

 like onions, although much inquired about," they were noL "within mortal 

 ken." We wrote to Mr. Binks at the time we returned his specimens, 

 but since then he has not vouchsafed to favour us with further manifes- 

 tations, and I think that since the date of last letter as published by you, 

 viz. 5th May, 1861, he ought to be able to authenticate his statements by 

 the results of his trials of the oats during 1862, and to have sent you 

 specimens of the seventy-five varieties from last year's crop. 



Wm. Warter Smith, for Peter Lawson and Son. 



