The Pomologkal Magazine. 325 



The Pomological Magazine. In 8vo Numbers, Monthly. 4 figures. 5s. 



coloured; 5s. <Sd. plain. Edited by two gentlemen intimately connected 



with the Horticultural Society. 



We have before (p. 89.) announced this work, which is to contain " four 

 coloured figures, one of which will be occasionally double, of the finest 

 varieties of fruit cultivated in Great Britain. These will be accompanied 

 by an accurate account of their history, and as full a description of their 

 wood, flowers, leaves, and fruit, as may be necessary to enable the public to 

 distinguish the varieties from each other." 



An advertisement states that, " as the object of the work is utility, the 

 price must be low, and the figures in consequence relieved of all illustra- 

 tions of a secondary character. The winter wood, the leaves, and the 

 flowers, which are almost always as well understood from description as 

 they can be from representation, will, therefore, be omitted or introduced 

 as occasion or convenience may require ; for it is notorious to all who are 

 conversant with pomology, that, in works at present of the highest autho- 

 rity, these characters are universally consulted from the letter-press, and 

 not from the plates. The introduction of them at all times would add 

 considerably to the expense of the work, without any adequate increase of 

 utility : they will, however, be added whenever any real advantage is likely 

 to be derived from their representation ; and in all such cases the public 

 will be able to place implicit confidence in their accuracy." Of the two 

 excuses for not giving " illustrations of a secondary character," that which 

 is founded on " works at present of the highest authority " appears to us 

 the less valid. If precedent is to go for much in science, a ready excuse 

 will always be at hand for neglecting improvement. We deny that the 

 winter wood, the leaves, and the flowers are almost always as well under- 

 stood from description as from pictorial representation. If it is worth while 

 that they should be understood, why should not delineation be as effective 

 in their case as in that of fruits ? Apples and peaches, for instance, are cer- 

 tainly as different in blossom as in fruit. However, after giving the subject 

 more consideration than we had done at the time we made the remarks on 

 the secondary illustrations referred to (p. 89.), we have come to a conclu- 

 sion so different from what we anticipated, that we consider the question 

 of secondary illustrations in the Pomological Magazine of no great conse- 

 quence, convinced as we are that the plan of that work is by no means cal- 

 culated to attain its professed objects. 



The difficulty of distinguishing varieties of fruits of the same species 

 from each other is acknowledged by every horticulturist. Some individuals 

 who have cultivated, fruited, and studied extensive collections of apples, 

 pears, or plums, may know at sight a considerable number of varieties : but, 

 in general, only a very few sorts are known by one individual; and, in the 

 great majority of cases, gentlemen's gardeners can speak with confidence 

 regarding those sorts only which are under their care. The reason of this 

 is, that the shades which distinguish varieties are so fleeting as not to be re- 

 tained in memory, or onlyretained to a very limited extent. An apple maybe 

 distinguished from twenty other apples, all very much alike, when the whole 

 twenty are placed together before the eye; but anyone of the twenty 

 taken apart, and delineated and described, however perfectly, will hardly 

 present any marks sufficiently distinctive to be remembered, and by which 

 it may be recognised with any degree of certainty. Those differences in 

 plants which are called specific may be recognised from independent or 

 absolute verbal description ; but differences between fruits and flowers 

 which are varieties of one species, can only be recognised with any degree 

 of certainty by comparative ocular inspection, either of the objects them- 

 selves, or of delineations or models of them. 



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