Retrospective Criticism. 719 



hybrids obtained, and again between those and the original parents, I 

 might, in the end, obtain individuals possessing the hardiness of habits of 

 the cucumber or even gourd, and at the same time producing fruit with the 

 delicious flavour of the melon ; and dire experience alone has convinced me 

 how erroneous were my principles, how futile my anticipations. 



Nevertheless, if Mr. Oliver will favour me, through the medium of your 

 periodical, with an account of his experiments, I shall, in the event of 

 their proving satisfactory, become a willing convert to contrary opinions 

 to those I now hold ; for, though I have remained satisfied without further 

 prosecuting my trials, unless on individuals which seem to approach nearly, 

 as in the case of the new regent melon (a variety I have just received, 

 which, by the fruit, can scarcely be distinguished from the cucumber, and 

 on which I purpose renewing my endeavours), yet, between the less known 

 and cultivated genera and species, I have not quite relinquished the hope 

 that some two perfectly different ones may be found to break the hitherto 

 impassable boundary.* Should this be once effected, the principle may, at 

 least with the two immediate parents and their congeners, be carried to in- 

 finity; and even, possibly, through their means, a link might be established 

 whereby a junction of the whole family might be brought about. 



I have, this present season, been attempting such hybridisation between 

 a cucurbitaceous plant -j- (hitherto, I believe, unknown in this country) and 

 the cucumber, melon, gourd, and water melon respectiveh', as yet without 

 success ; but I am sorry to have to avow, that I am prevented from ren- 

 dering my experiments as various as I could wish, by my inability to pro- 

 cure seeds of the diflijrent individuals of the family. Only a very few are 

 to be purchased; and with respect to those I have been able to obtain in 

 this way, I have found ample cause to complain of similar treatment to 

 that so justly reprehended by your correspondent K. (not myself, I assure 

 you) at p. 617., and that, too, from the same quarter which 3'ou have so 

 frequently and so strongly recommended. For instance, for ilfelothria 

 pendula I received Cucurbita lagenaria ; for Trichosanthes anguina, a long 

 variety of the melon ; for (Sicyos angulatus, a variety of the gourd, &c. 



My appeal to the horticultural world (Vol. VI. p. 503.) has been un- 

 heeded, save in two or three «g?«aZ instances ; the most prominent of which, 

 I am sure my countrymen will blush to hear, was that of a French gentle- 

 man resident in Paris. I had intended, ere this, to have requested your 

 insertion of an amended, and, in some points, more extensive list of species 



* I think the Cucumis Duddim, Me\o, Chate, osmocarpon, andflexuosus, 

 can scarcely (especially the first four) be considered any thing more than 

 mere varieties ; but this is a matter which cannot be determined until it is 

 more distinctly defined what constitutes a distinct genus or species. As- 

 suredly, in a sexual system with any pretensions to perfection, the genera 

 and species should be arranged according to their capability or incapability 

 of reciprocal impregnation : either a genus ought to consist of species, all 

 of which mutually fecundate each other, or of those which, otherwise ana- 

 logous, are incapable of so doing ; while those which are so capable should 

 be classed as varieties. 



f A species of the Benincjisff, trivially termed cyllndrica, from the form 

 of its fruit, of which I have cut a specimen weighing 19 lbs. and measuring 

 round 2 ft. 6 in., while the girth, longitudinally, was 3 ft. 6 in. It is covered 

 all over with a white powder, similar to that which has given the name of 

 cerifera to the other species, which is the only one given in Loudon's 

 Hortus Britdnnic2is. This powder comes off" on being touched, in the same 

 manner as white paint does when long exposed to the weather ; it is also 

 covered with hairs about a quarter of an inch long, which are so sharp as 

 to penetrate the skin and cause an irritating and smarting pain. 



