Vol. 1.— No. 41. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



325 



a scientific and practical description of the fish of 

 (lie upper lakes by a competent hand. 



Several species and varieties of the currant 

 and gooseberry are found in our woods. The 

 gooseberry is abundant, and sometimes large. It 

 is not improbable that by cultivation, it might be- 

 come an estimable fruit. Tin; Captain of one of 

 our Steamboats, informs me that he has seen a 

 \ ariety upon an island in Lake Huron very large, 

 of ;i transparent white, and delicious flavor. 



Cleveland. E. Y. 



FOR THE GENESEE FARMER. 



In one of the last numbers of the New- York 

 Farmer, two columns are filled with rejoinders 

 from my old Critic, and the late respectable Editor 

 of that paper. 



"I guess," (for he still wears this Harlequin 

 costume,) has improved in his manner; and it is 

 likely that he would prove, on better acquaint- 

 ance, a decent sort of a man. 



He complains of my " scepticism" in regard 

 to the new species of Polemtmium, and says I. 

 was ashamed to own my mistake. He has mis- 

 judged. I mistook the species cultivated in Brit- 

 ain for tlie whole number in that genus. Profes- 

 sor IAndley shall not bear the blame of my over 

 sight; neither will I bear the charge of unfair in- 

 tentions. In 1818, Nuttall said — "This genus 

 appears as yet to contain but two genuine spe- 

 cies;" and in 1829, IAndley only named three spe- 

 cies cultivated in Britain. In 1831, " I guess" (I 

 wish he had a more respectable name) said there 

 were ten species, and referred for his authorities to 

 '! London Catalogues." Now it so happens that I 

 feel no more deference for London nurserymen and 

 their catalogues, than I do for some in New- York, 

 who name their new varieties as new species. I 

 did not perceive that IAndley had indicated twelve 

 species of Polemonium when I wrote my reply ; 

 but discovered it before I got the rejoinder. Had 

 he named Sweet's Catalogue, I should have yield- 

 ed, for Sweet is high authority. With permission, 

 therefore, I will take back all that I have said res- 

 pecting the number of species in the genus Pole- 

 monium. 



And I would acknowledge any other mistake 

 with equal freedom, if' 1 guess' (this name is too 

 awkward for common use) could discover one ; 

 but throughout the whole of this affair, he appears 

 not to have comprehended the intent and meaning 

 of my criticisms when I complained of vague and 

 indefinite reports. I wanted either a scientific 

 name, or a common English name so well known 

 that one plant would not ba mistaken for another. 

 If this demand was unreasonable, he ought to have 

 made it appear; and he ought also to have shown 

 tt.at a name which applies as well to twenty 

 plants as to one plant, was sufficiently precise and 

 appropriate. Had he done this, he might have 

 spared much paper. 



Of the Rose Potentilla, he says — "It could be 

 no other kind but the Potentilla formosa," because 

 it is the only one of Sweet's 100 species that is 

 "rose colored." This reason might pass if we 

 could rely on the colors designated in catalogues 

 or reports, but this is not the case. In the cata- 

 logue of a garden of great celebrity, Geranium 

 maculatum is called Blue Geranium; yet no 

 botanical author within my reach, has named it of 

 such a color: and among the thousands which I 



have seen in my travels, I never saw a blue flower 

 of this species. My critic properly translates 

 atro sanguinea, dark crimson ; yet this is not its 

 color in Thorium's list, but scarlet, and in IAnd- 

 ley' s list it is jiurplc. Such also is the color of P. 

 nepauknsis, which a person half as careless as 

 the writer of that report, might call " rose co- 

 lor." 



It is to be remarked that Potentilla formosa is 

 not named in Lindley's list of plants cultivated in 

 Britain in 1829; neither have I seen the name in 

 any American Catalogue; yet this man wishes 

 me to believe that they cultivate it at the Albany 

 Nursery. It is not impossible; but surely if the 

 worthy proprietors of that establishment have in- 

 troduced it, they are entitled to more credit than 

 that obscure notice-, and even this fact (if fact it. 

 is) will prove my former position, viz: that such 

 r. ii irts are too carelessly prepared. 



He says " It was the kind they said it was, 



1 tin- fragrant double pink Preony,' P. cdnlis fra- 



2 runs, no other hind is called by that name." — 

 Very likely; neither is any kind called by that 

 name by IAndley, Carr, Prince or Thorbum. — 

 P. cdnlis fragrans appears to be a synonym of 

 P. albifiora fragrans. Lindley calls it, "rose 

 scented" — Prince, "Chinese rose scented, deep 

 crimson" — Thorbum, " fragrantchinese" — Carr, \ 



Chinese rose scented." My critic seems willing 

 that " deep crimson" should pass for a " pink" co- 

 lor, and ' fragrant double pink Pseony' for a com- 

 mon and appropriate name. It is to be remem- 

 bered, however, that neither Professor IAndley in 

 Europe, nor three of the greatest floriculturists in 

 America, appear to know any thing of such a 

 name. 



I objected to the very imperfect notice of the 

 Rensselaer Pink; and all that has been said about 

 it, proves that attempt at description most remarTi- 

 ably lame. My critic could not explain it him- 

 self; yet he continues to blame me about that fa- 

 mous report, which I never saw nor heard of, till 

 after it was printed and mailed'. It was unintel- 

 ligible* whether it was read 7* inches or lifeet; 

 but 7j inches is more entitled to belief; yet it has 

 been the business of this man to abuse me for 

 pointing to its faults. He ought to have seen (for 

 he is not destitute of sense) that it was time that 

 some bar was put to such straggling reports, and 

 he ought not to have interfered with my criti- 

 cisms. 



The " double red and white queen of the mea- 

 dow" continues to disturb him. He thinks I have 

 no cause for complaint so long as he can guess 

 at the meaning of an obscure name. I would 

 rather have one proper name than forty of his 

 guesses. Many florists have neither Sweet nor 

 IAndley to assist their conjectures; and 1 object 

 to that careless system in toto which requires any 

 person to guess. 



He still thinks " Gtueen of the meadow or mead- 

 ow sweet must have been spircca ulmaria." To 

 relieve him in part, he may call the white queen of 

 the meadow by that name ; but what will he do 

 about the double red queen of the meadow? He 

 ought to know there is a great absurdity in linking 

 plants together by the same name which do not 

 belong to the same Natural Order. 



*" A root ! of the double pheasant eye pink, 7 1-2 

 "feet in circumference! actual measurement! upon 

 "which [root !] were fifteen hundred fullblown 

 " flowers," New-York Farmer, vol. 4, p. 108. 



He has misquoted my reference to Professor Ea- 

 ton, I hope inadvertently, but it is no great matter; 

 and he objects to Eaton and Torrey's " strange 

 way of naming plants." It must be clear to eve- 

 ry clear headed person, however, that only such 

 English names as are generally and commonly 

 known in this country ought to be used ; and that 

 names only familiar to the readers of Sweet are 

 not of this class. On this ground Eaton and Tor- 

 rey are better authorities than any European au- 

 thor whatever; and if my old critic is not satisfied 

 with this decision, and still retains his vernacular 

 partialities, let him use the scientific names. 



He has taken a singular fancy to Veronica spi- 

 cata, in preference to any other kind with "blue 

 spiked" flowers. He has given no reason for this 

 predilection. There are several other species 

 with "blue spiked" flowers, cultivated in his own 

 neighborhood, with which heoughtto be acquaint- 

 ed, and I refer him in particular to" Veronica ans- 

 tralis, as a finer plant, continuingmuchlonger in 

 bloom than V. spicata, and more deserving of his 

 admiration. 



I have now met him (I guess) at every point, 

 and to my view he has neither understood me, nor 

 the subject. His epithets of " harsh, unfair, ill 

 natured, and petulant" I return to him, — but I for- 

 give him and hope for his better behavior infu - 

 lore. — 



The Editor of the New- York Farmer ought to 

 know his own business; but what business he had 

 to engage in this controversy, would be hard to 

 determine. Perhaps he thought trtob against one 

 was fair play ; or perhaps he thought his assist- 

 ance was needed. 



To say that he haanot substantiated a.ny charge 

 against me, would be altogether unnecessary, for 

 he has not even mode any specific charge against 

 me. Nothing appears from his showing but his 

 own uncomfortable feelings. 



In his resentment he is so blind and undistin- 

 guishing, as to meet with insolence the mild and 

 conciliating language of the Editor of the Gene- 

 see Farmer. He had better close his old accounts 

 before he opens a new controversy. 



He may soon hear from me again. Q,. 



3j»The account of the Rensselaer Horticultu- 

 ral Society, to which the editor of the New- York 

 Farmer alludes, it may be well to state, in an- 

 swer to his gentlemanly insinuations, was copied 

 from a Troy or Lansinburgh paper, by the printer 

 without the knowledge of the editor of the Gene- 

 see Farmer, and was not discovered by the editor 

 in season to correct or omit it. We might, if we 

 chose, retaliate, and mention the number of errors 

 in as many lines of his paper; but if he is too ob- 

 stinate to admit the good effects of the criticisms 

 of CI. and insists that his columns have not impro- 

 ved of late, we fear that any thing we might say 

 would only tend to destroy that happy "equi- 

 poise" of mind, on which he seems to pride tiar.- 

 si If. 



§^» In the progress of distilling Pit. Coal,> r at > _ 

 the gas works, Birmingham, England, it wasdis-i 

 covered, that there is an illuminating principle in 

 water, which combined with a liquid, obtained' 

 from the coal, a gas was formed possessing a su-' 

 perior illuminating power, and which can be af- 

 forded fur cheaper, than the gas procured in the 

 ordinary way. 



