462 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
rss 
versicolor, which makes very pretty tufts. All accounts 
of the harvest prospeets in this neighbourhood, and in 
Holstein, are very good ; after a four weeks' drought, 
the rain came just time enough to swell out the Rye, 
which was in some places almost too far gone; the 
Wheat, Oats, and Barley, will have the full benefit of 
it. Early Potatoes are good and abundant; the main 
crop is still very young, and consequently not much can 
be said of them ; but all accounts agree, that not a 
trace of the disease, so general here also last year, has 
as yet shown itself. The Hamburghers do not look to 
much benefit from our corn-bill, on account of our pre- 
sumed abundant harvest; and I am told, that in Meck- 
lenburgh the housewives are very angry with our free- 
trade measures, which they aver have raised the price 
of butter in Mecklenburgh ld. or 2d. a pound. The 
fruit crop this year is very deficient ; the Apples, Pears, 
Plams, and wall-fruit having, as in England, almost en- 
tirely failed. Small fruit, however, seems plentiful, judg- 
ing from the profusion of Cherries and Strawberries 
(chiefly real Hautbois from the Vierlinder) brought 
to the market. e alsosee quantities of very fine 
Bilberries, which I am told are much liked here.— 0.0. 
Sooríctíts. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
July 7.—R. H. Sorry, Esq. in the Chair. The 
Dowager Marchioness of Hastings, the Earl of Elles- 
mere and, R. G. Leycester, Esq., were elected Fellows. 
Although the subjeets produced on this occasion were 
not numerous, a circumstance no doubt owing to the 
proximity of the large exhibition at Chiswick, some of 
them were not devoid of interest. Foremost amon 
them may be mentioned a cut specimen of the Clove 
tree (Caryophyllus aromaticus), from the garden of the 
Duke of Northumberland, at Sion. This remarkable 
tree, on account of the difficulty of keeping it alive, is 
still comparatively rare in this country. At Sion, 
however, it is found to succeed well planted in Nor- 
wood loam and sand, in which it was mentioned the 
Mangosteen and Nutmeg likewise thrive. The speci- 
men exhibited bore large shining pale green leaves, 
and had on it several of its fragrant coriaceous flower- 
buds, which are the Cloves of merchandise ; the corolla 
forming a ball or sphere on the top between the teeth 
of the ealyx ; thus, with the narrow base or germen 
tapering downwards, giving the appearance of a naih 
and henee in French the name Clow from which the 
English Clove is evidently derived.—From the same 
arden were also two plants of Evolvulus, with pretty 
blue Anagallis-like flowers, one was named cceruleus, 
the other purpureo-ezruleus, the deeper blue of the 
latter distinguishing it ad g ly from the former, 
which is much paler. They were found by Mr. Purdie 
on dry rocks near the sea in Jamaica. A Knightian 
Medal was awarded for the Clove tree. — Messrs. 
Whitley and Osborn, of Fulham, sent the new Calystegia 
pubescens or double Bindweed, one of Mr. Fortune’s va- 
luable importations from China ; and Mr. Low, of Clap- 
CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 
June 26.—On this the last summer meeting the day 
proved remarkably wet and inclement. Nevertheless, 
the show of exotic plants was admirable, and amply re- 
paid those whose zeal induced them to visit the garden. 
—For shrubby or suffruticose exoties, there were four 
competitors ; the Silver Medal was awarded to Mr. 
Reid, gr. to J. Syme, Esq., for very large and well- 
grown plants of Pentas carnea, Statice mucronata, 
Pimelea Hendersoni, and Statice arborea, this last being 
of unexampled size—5 feet high, 16 feet in cireumfer- 
ence around the branches, and bearing 63 spikes of 
flowers.—In Cape Heaths there was keen competition. 
The first prize was again assigned to Mr. Reid, for E. tri- 
color, speciosa, ventricosa superba, and preegnans major; 
and a second premium was voted to Mr. Young, gr. to 
T. Oliver, Esq., for preegnans, ventricosa coccinea, V. 
globosa, and eximia.—For Fuchsias there were four 
competitors. A first premium was awarded to Mr. 
Thomson, gr. to W. E. Hope Vere, Esq., for Serrati- 
folia, Duchess of Sutherland, and Sir Henry Pottinger; 
and a second to Mr. Cameron, gr. to S. Hay, Esq., for 
Duchess of Sutherland, Vesta, and Eppsii, An award 
was made to Mr. Thomson, gr. to Dr. Neill, for Maxil- 
laria Harrisonie var., and S pea oculata, both in 
fine flower.—For Pelargoniums there appeared five 
competitors, some of them producing specimens indi- 
eating improved culture, and forming altogether a bril- 
liant display. The palm was at once assigned to Mr. 
Cossar, gr. to Anne Lady Hay, for Lyne’s Sunrise, 
Princess Royal, Pluto, Nestor, Sir Robert Peel, and 
Conflagration. A second premium was voted to Mr. 
Sleigh, gr. to A. Rutherfurd, Esq., for Garth’s 
Discount, Symmetry, Comte de Paris, Foster’s Dido, 
Nymph, and Gaines’s Masterpiece.—The offer of a prize 
for the best grown single specimen of a tender suffruti- 
cose exotic, brought forward several choice plants, for 
which awards were made: the highest to Mr. Veitch, 
gr. to R. Dundas, Esq., for a magnificent plant of Vero- 
nica Lindleyana; a second to Mr. Reid, for Statice 
Dicksoni, of large size ; and a third to Mr. Pousty, gr. 
to J. Giles, Esq., for a lovely specimen of Leschenaultia 
formosa.—A. prize offered by Messrs. J. Dickson and 
Sons, for the best six Caleeolarias, was awarded to Mr. 
Thomson, for Duke of York, Ne plus ultra, Standishii, 
Exquisite, Duchess of Roxburghe, and Earl of Eglinton. 
Another prize, by the same firm, for the best 24 Roses, 
(Moss, Provins, French, Perpetual, China, and Bourbon, 
four of each sort), was voted to Mr. Sleigh, whose kinds 
were—Moss : Cristata, Selina, Common, and Duncan’s, 
Provins: Rivers Unique, Victoria, Duchesne, and 
Blanchefleur. French : Surpasse-tout, William Tell, 
Boule de Nanteuil, and Kean. Perpetual: Lady Peel, 
Rivers’ Edward Jesse, and Marquise Boecella. Hybrid 
China: Madame Rameau, Chenédolé, Billiard, and 
Blairii, Bourbon: Paul Perras, Cardinal Fesch, Capi- 
taine Sissolet, and Mrs. Bosanquet. For another ex- 
cellent collection of Roses an extra award was made by 
the Society to Mr. Thomson. On this occasion various 
ton, a rosy-pink flowered Stylidium, app ly S. scan- 
dens,—From Mr. Cuthill, of Camberwell, were cut 
bunches and a plant of his Prince of Denmark scarlet 
Clove Carnation, a brilliant coloured, very fragrant, 
hardy, border variety, together with bunches of other 
Picotees and Carnations of less moment.—Very fine 
boxes of the best sorts of Pieotees and Carnations, for 
which a certificate was awarded, also came from Mr. 
Norman, of Woolwich.—Messrs. Veitch and Son, of 
Exeter, sent a small Hydrangea, from Java, said to be 
Otaksa, but which, if not identical with japonica, did 
not essentially differ from that species.—Of Frurt, Mr. 
Barnes, of Bicton, sent a dish of large white Strawber- 
ries, which were rather over ripe and somewhat bruised, 
and disfigured by travelling ; but when first gathered 
they are said to be clear-skinned fine-looking fruit. It 
was stated to be a good late variety,and to be a very abun- 
dant bearer; appearing to bean improvement onthe white 
Chili, a certificate was awarded it.—From Mr. Barton, 
gr. to J. Thorpe, Esq., of Chippent Park, Cambrid, 
]-sh. d 
p of merit, though sent for exhibition only, 
were considered as well deserving of honorary awards. 
In particular for a specimen of Cyrtochil l 
apiculate ; smoother above, pale green, with the odour 
of the Tansey. Heads of few flowers,i10 to 20, very 
woolly, globose, scattered on the branches, and termi- 
nal as well as axillary. Flowers pentagonal, conoidal 
upwards. Scales of flowers swelled and convex below 
the point, spinous point smooth, purple, strong. Seeds 
with few elevations on th pidermis, oval. 
Stouter than F. germanica, which is gray, not green, 
and has the heads of 30 to 40 flowers, and all (1) ter- 
minai to their common stalk. The leaves of the latter 
are taper to the point, narrower : the involueral leaves: 
with a broad base, and long, taper point. Our plant 
flowers later than F. germanica, and is rarely observed 
in the midst of fields where F. germaniea abounds. 
The scent of the latter is very feeble: the spinous 
points of the flower scales yellow, or very rarely orpi- 
ment. The leaves of our plant are smoother above, 
and rather woolly than silvery with short down, as those 
of F. germanica are. I have not met with one plant 
on clay land, upon which the other often too much 
abounds. Seedling plants of both preserve the charac- 
ter of the foliage, &e.” 
RMebiewos, 
Vestiges of the Natural History of the Creation. 
Fifth edition. 8vo. Churchill, 
Explanations: a Sequel to the Vestiges, &c. By the 
Author of that work. 
A GENERAL statement of the views of the author of this 
work having been given at page 6 of our volume for 
1845, we are only called upon, on the present occasion, 
to notice the new topics introduced into the fifth edition, 
and the “ Explanations.” 
That a book, which has raised such a host of admirers- 
as this has, should also have found its fierce antagonists 
was to be expected. Indeed, that the author is on alk 
sides open;to criticism, is abundantly manifest to every- 
body who examines his work with reference to suc 
points of detail as he may be most familiar with himself. 
It is, therefore, amazing to us that the opponents of the 
eculiar opinions set forth in the “ Vestiges” should not 
have been able to muster even a decent array of hostile 
facts and arguments against this anonymous author. 
It is still more surprising that any man of science 
should have so totally failed in his arguments as the 
writer of an adverse geological criticism in the “ Edin- 
burgh Review,” the worthlessness of whose reasoning it 
is a part of the object of the “ Explanations ” to expose. 
The theory of the “ Vestiges” is, that no specific crea- 
tion has ever taken place; but that the Almighty has com- 
manded matter to obey certain laws of creation, which 
laws have been in operation from all time; that the 
effect of those self-acting laws has been the production, 
by i grees of pl of this world and 
all that it contains ; that they are still in operation as 
they always have been, and that they will continue to 
act to the end’of time. 
Supposing this theory to be correct it will follow that 
new and more perfect species of plants and animals 
must have been continually appearing since life was, by 
var., with a raceme 8 feet long, studded with flowers, 
an honorary silver medal was voted to J. Syme, Esq. 
Another medal was awarded to Messrs. Dickson and 
O., for a collection of plants, including an Echeveria 
from Mexico, having two spikes of nearly sessile 
flowers ; 24 varieties of double Dianthus barbatus, &c. 
A third award was made to Messrs. Carstairs, Kelly, 
and Co., for Hindsia longiflora alba, and Myosotis 
azorica ; and a fourth to Mr. Handasyde, for an exten- 
sive colleetion of Roses of the different classes. For 
Orchids, the thanks of the meeting were voted to Mrs. 
Haig, for a fine flowering plant of Clerodendron infor- 
tunatum, and for Cape Heaths ; to Messrs. J. Dickson 
and Sons, for a collection of tender exotics, the kinds 
being, Gloxinia digitaliflora and Gesnera zebrina, both 
very fine, together with a collection of Roses; to 
Messrs Lawson and Son, for a collection including 
Siph dna du T5 ardt 5 
shire, was a large let-fleshed Melon, 
weighing 4 lbs.—And finally, various dried Chinese 
fruits or sweetmeats, brought over by Mr. Fortune, 
were placed on the table. They consisted of Jujubes, 
called Dates, the produce of the Jujube tree (Ziziphus 
Jujuba) of which there are many varieties ; also Litchi 
and Longan, two species of Dimocarpus. The Litchi 
fruits are the largest, having a much rougher coat than 
the Longan, which is, moreover, an inferior variety. 
Both are round fruit, with the pulp surrounding the 
stone, covered by a tough thin leathery coat, which is 
semi-transparent and eolourless. Another dish con- 
tained pressed Oranges, à preserve obtained from. a 
small acid Orange, common about Chusan. It looks as 
if the pulp had been taken out, and the rind boiled 
in sugar, and pressed. Associated with these was 
also a dish of Wampee —the Cookia punetata, 
whose small peeuliarly-flavoured berries form a very 
agreeable preserve, Of plants from the Society's 
Garden were Epidendrum alatum ; the well-known On- 
cidium Wentworthianum ; the lovely new Achimenes 
patens, recently received from Mr. Hartweg ; also A. 
grandiflora, from which the former differs in many re- 
spects, but especially in the flowers being of a much 
deeper colour, and in the leaves being smaller and 
smooth; two species of Gloxinia ; the useful blue- 
flowered Plumbago capensis ; Chironia floribunda and 
frutescens ; Sinningia guttata ; and eut specimens of 
Buddlea Lindleyana, one of Mr. Fortune's first im- 
portations from China, which, if not al her hardy, 
i p P Dui p 
and Ixia [erecta viridiflora; to Mr. Watson, for 56 
varieties of China Roses; to Mr. Maenaughton, for 
greenh , and speci of Barley from seed 
received from India, with stalks 6 feet high; to Mr. 
Kilgour, for seedling Ranuneuluses; and to Mr. 
John Downie, South Bank, Canaan, for the true 
Pentstemon Cobsea, now rare about Edinburgt 
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, 
June 5, 1846.—The Vice-President in the chair. 
Dr. Dewar presented a specimen of Luzula nivea, dis- 
covered near Broomhall, Fifeshire. Dr. Dewar con- 
siders this plant undoubtedly wild in that locality. The 
following specimens were exhibited :— Specimens of 
Ranunculus aquatilis, approaching very near to Ranun- 
culus Lenormandi, but differing by their more com- 
pletely tripartite leaves, and the more lateral position 
of the style on the grown fruit; sent by Mr. Hewett 
Watson from Esher Common, Surrey. Specimens of a 
Filago, which would be referred to Filago germanica 
by English botanists, but which is thought likely to 
prove a distinct species by its discoverer, the Rev. G. 
E. Smith, who communicated the following descriptive 
account of the plant along with the specimens for the 
Society’s Herbarium :—* Filago (apiculata: provisional 
name) Sandy borders of fields, hedge-banks, and road- 
sides ; Cantley, Rossington, &e., near Doncaster. Stem 
flexuose, copiously downy, more or less erect. Leaves 
alternate, scattered upon the stem and branches, ae 
hul Miclafa-aoPdud ite: ob 
has been proved to be at least as hardy as a Fuchsia. 
p or sp 5 long, 
or, beneath the heads of flowers, obsoletely hastate, all 
the will of the Creator, infused into matter ; that races 
h ively disappeared, and been ded 
others (which, indeed, is conclusively proved by geolo- 
gical evidence); that new species are still appearing on. 
the face of the globe ; and that man himself will even- 
tually disappear, to be succeeded by beings more perfect 
in their nature, and more nearly allied to the angels. 
This, in the opinion of the author, is a more philoso- 
phical way of ting for the app of new 
Species of living things than to assume that every new 
form of plants and animals is produced by the special 
and direct intervention of the Almighty ; and, he adds,- 
a more reverential way. But we must let him make 
his own statement. 
“The whole question, then, stands thus. For the 
theory of universal order—that is, order as presiding, 
in both the origin and administration of the world—we 
have the testimony of a vast number of facts in natures. 
and this one in addition,—that whatever is reft from 
the domain of ignorance and made undoubted matter of 
science, forms a new support to the same doctrine. 
The opposite view, once predominant, has been shrink- 
ing for ages into lesser space, and now maintains ® 
footing only in a few departments of nature which 
happen to be less liable than others to a clear investiga 
tion. The chief of these, if not almost the only one, i$ 
the origin of the organic kingdoms, So long as this. 
remains obscure, the supernatural will have a certain 
hold upon enlightened persons. Should it ever be 
cleared up in a way that leaves no doubt of a natural 
origin of plants and animals, there must be a complete 
revolution in the view which is generally taken of our 
relation to the Father of our being. This prepares the 
way for a few remarks on the present state of opinion 
with regard to the origin of organic nature. The great. 
difficulty here is the apparent determinateness ©! 
species. These forms of life being apparently un- 
changeable, or at least always showing a tendency to 
return to the character from which they may have 
diverged, the idea arises that there can have been nO: 
progression from one to another ; each must have taken 
its special form, independently of other forms, directly’ 
from the appointment of the Creator. The Edinburgh’ 
reviewer says, ‘ they were created by the hand of God, 
and adapted to the conditions of the period? Now; 
is, in the first place, not certain that species constantly 
maintain a fixed character, for we have seen that whai 
were long considered as determinate species have been 
transmuted into others. Passing, however, from w 
fact, as it is not generally received among men Ot . 
