Queries a?id Answers to Quej'ies, 183 



that I consider a hybrid plant as good a species as any other, and Linnceus 

 was of the same opinion ; he even supposed, that at first there were only 

 genera, and that the species have been all produced since by intermixing 

 with each other. How can a plant be a variety, if it is permanent? It 

 certainly must be a species, if a character can be found that specifies its 

 difference from all others. The term species speaks for itself, whereas a 

 variety must mean that the plant varies; it therefore cannot be permanent. 

 This is the plan of distinction that I always follow and intend to continue. 

 Others may do as they please, we have all our own opinions. I am, dear 

 Sir, yours, truly, — R, Sweet. March 10. 1828. 



Love lies bleeding and Prince's Feather are the most hardy of the annuals 

 mentioned by your correspondent Matthias Sylvaticus, in p. 59., and not, 

 as he alleges, among the more tender. You are aware that the leaves of 

 these plants make a very good spinach ; and I have no doubt that, if sown 

 in the autumn when winter spinach is sown, they would stand the winter 

 almost as well as that plant. — B. April 2. 



Awning for a Tulip Bed. — Sir, Your correspondent, S. T. P., in recom- 

 mending a cheap tuHp awning (p. 53.), has certainly, in my opinion, gone 

 rather too far in economy to honour his profession. His plan is by far too 

 clumsy, rough, and ugly, to enable him, with prudence, to call himself a 

 florist. In the first place, the brown shadow of the mats, occasioned by the 

 reflection of light, will not contribute to the beautiful, delicate, and waxy 

 appearance of this beautiful flower. Secondly, the forked stumps down 

 the centre of the bed must have a very unsightly appearance. It must cer- 

 tainly be much darker than a canvass awning; and, as light is the cause of 

 colour, any thing in any degree deprived of light must be also, in part, de- 

 prived of colour. Again, when he wants to look at his tulips, he says he 

 pulls up his mats ; and, by so doing, he must certainly expose them to the 

 brilliant light. This light is much too strong for this flower, which requires 

 a dull light, if I may so express myself. A canvass awning about rectifies 

 the light to the proper hue for tulips ; and there is as much difference 

 between a tulip under an awning (but not mats), and one exposed to the 

 brilliant light, as there is between a good flower and a bad one. I may 

 mention that green baize, round the sides of a .tulip awning, greatly contri- 

 butes to the beauty of this flower, i am. Sir, &c. — F. W. Smith. Near 

 Kennington Common, April 1. 1828. 



Art. X. Queries and Answers to Queries. 



Cleaning Hot-house Flues, and the Treatment of Tropical Exotic Plants 

 in Stoves. — Sir, Among your very numerous and respectable readers and 

 correspondents, I have no doubt but there will be found one practical 

 individual who will be so kind to the numerous body of gentlemen and 

 gardeners who use forcing-houses, either for pines or vines, as to answer 

 these enquiries : — 



From the bad construction of my hot-house flues, they are ever in want 

 of cleaning from soot ; and often at times inconvenient for the business of 

 forcing, and almost always prejudicial to both flowers and fruit. A mason 

 and his man Friday, with their dust and dirt, are at all times unwelcome 

 visitors ; all previous care and labour is put in jeopardy by their noxious 

 dust, and even our hopes of future success are blighted by the disorder and 

 delay they occasion. Is there no remedy for this ? 



Connected with this subject, allow me to mention another circumstance 

 which has occurred to me, regarding the treatment of our stove plants. I 

 had an opportunity, lately, of conversing with a friend of mine who had 



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