Retrospective Criticism. 371 



they have been there, ought to be able to finish a piece of work both in 

 neatness and expedition equal with a professed gardener? And does not 

 Mr. Donald employ more men proportionably, than many nurserymen do ? 

 [No.] I imagine he does, which best accounts for the superior condition of 

 his nursery. — Sensitivus. Aug. 5. 



Calceolaria integrifolia and corymbosa. — Sir, May I request the favour of 

 your correcting a slight mistake in the last number of your Magazine, p.69* 

 In quoting the contents of No. 150. of Edwards's Botanical Register , wherein 

 Calceolaria integrifolia var. angustifolia is described as adapted for a wall, 

 &c., you refer to page 187. of the 2d volume of your own Magazine, where 

 a very distinct variety, Calceolaria corymbosa, is figured and described. 

 This correction is so far important, that the experiment of turning out or 

 training with the latter plant would fail, it being, as you describe in Vol. II., 

 scarcely more than biennial, and a low herbaceous plant, whereas C. inte- 

 grifolia will, with management, reach the height of 5 or 4 ft. with a suffru- 

 tescent stem, though far less brilliant in the colour of its flowers, and inferior 

 also in their size. 



I do not think it is generally known that Passi/ldra palmdta will stand 

 our winters without any kind of protection except that afforded by a wall 

 with a southern aspect, against which I have one that has survived two 

 winters, and is now, after many successive weeks, in full bloom, and 

 forming a very great ornament to a trelliswork in front of my house. — 

 A constant and approving Reader. Oct. 20. 



Catalogue of the Fruits in the Horticidtural Society's Garden. — I send you. 

 herewith a few observations, if you think them worthy of notice in your 

 excellent Magazine, on The Catalogue of Fruits cultivated in the Garden 

 of the Horticultural Society of London, at Chiswiclc. 



The advertisement says, " The fruits were actually cultivated in the garden 

 of the Society in the spring of 1826, and the list comprehends nearly the 

 whole of those which have ever appeared in print in foreign or English 

 lists of authority" that is, they have at this time nearly all the fruits culti- 

 vated in England that " ever had a name," from the time of Parkinson, our 

 first best authority, in 1629, to the year 1826, and also all those of France, 

 from Merlet in 1667, to Noisette in 1826. 



If this is meant literally, it affords no proof of discrimination or judgment 

 in the compilation, for a great portion of the old fruits inserted in the cata- 

 logue have now no existence, or at least cannot be accurately ascertained. 



It would have been desirable had the compiler of the catalogue given a 

 reference to the authorities whence the names were taken, or from whom 

 the fruits were received, that we might ascertain if it is the old fruits that 

 are actually meant, or new fruits with old names, or the same plants under 

 different names ; as it is, we are left quite in the dark, whence and where 

 they derive their existence. 



There is said to be 5825 varieties enumerated, and 1000 more existing 

 of doubtful authority. Now, Sir, I should wish to ask for what purpose is 

 this assemblage of names collected together ? Is it intended that the Hor- 

 ticultural Society are to have the sole merit of settling the synonyms ? 

 Are the labours of Switzer, Miller, Hill, Hanbury, Forsyth, and others, 

 which have been directed to this subject, to be disregarded ? 



A large reduction of the 5825, it is said, will doubtless be effected, as the 

 different classes of fruits shall be successively submitted to careful examin- 

 ation. Why this has been done already, as far as regards many of the 

 old fruits, by the authors above-mentioned ; but such has been the vanity 

 of multiplying names, that in many instances, where the old fruits have had 

 two names, these have been separated and enumerated as distinct sorts : — 

 but " It has been judged more proper to suffer the same kind to stand un- 

 der different names, than with an insufficient degree of information to risk 



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