498 Refrospective Criticism. 



We hope we have said enough to draw attention to this subject. From 

 nothing but its comparative insignificance could such confusion of quantity 

 and gender have been permitted to blemish the science so long ; a confusion 

 not the less inexcusable because so easily rectified. — R. N. June, 1830. 



Art. V. Retrospective Criticism. 



Aristides and the Epsom Nursery. — Sir, In p. 357. you have published 

 a letter signed " Aristides," calling you to account, in no very measured 

 terms, for " puffing " the Epsom nursery. This letter appears to have 

 excited your just indignation; and it has induced me to refer to the article 

 (signed Alpha, p. 115.) which called it forth. I really cannot see any rea- 

 son why you should be blamed for having inserted in your Magazine such 

 an article as that of Alpha ; or Alpha himself, for having sent it to you for 

 that purpose. Why is this matter-of-fact statement of " new or rare plants" 

 which have flowered during the space of two months, at the Epsom nursery, 

 to be called a puff? Does it not fall within the legitimate province of your 

 Magazine to notice such things ? Surely it may be interesting to many of 

 your readers to know where and when such and such new or rare plants 

 have flowered ; and to some you will be performing a service, by informing 

 them where they are to be obtained. Why, too, need Aristides indulge in 

 sarcastic remarks on the Epsom nursery ? I visited that establishment, for 

 the first and only time, in the month of June, 1829 ; and, without meaning 

 to puff, I must say, in truth and justice, that three things particularly pleased 

 me on that occasion, viz. the polite attention and liberality of Messrs. 

 Young, the zeal and assiduity of their excellent foreman, Mr. Penny, and the 

 collection itself. With regard to Messrs. Young, I never in my life laid out 

 five shillings with them ; but they voluntarily gave me several rare plants, 

 and many others were offered. In Mr. Penny, I witnessed a thorough-going 

 love for his profession, and a most ardent thirst for information on botanical 

 subjects; accompanied, too, with a modesty of behaviour, and docility, in 

 which many a young man of not half his attainments is deficient : and, as to 

 the collection itself, it was both rich and extensive, containing very many 

 rare plants ; and many which, to me, who am no stranger to the interior of 

 nurseries, were entirely new. However galling to the private feelings of 

 Messrs. Young the letter of Aristides may be, as nurserymen they can, in 

 no way, be injured by such unjust and illiberal remarks : on the contrary, I 

 do hope and trust that what has occurred may be the means of calling them 

 and their interesting collection more into notice ; and that some of your 

 readers may be induced to visit the establishment at Epsom, in order that 

 they may judge of its merits for themselves. Yours, &c. — B. Coventry. 

 July, 1830. 



Edwards's Botanical Register. — Sir, You state, in your last review, that 

 the Botanical Register, having adopted your proposed accentuation of names, 

 has now therefore your unqualified approbation. However desirable the 

 improvement may be, and complimentary to the proposer of the improve- 

 ment, it must adopt some other changes before it will obtain the unqualified 

 approbation of its subscribers. In the first place stands the frequency of 

 publishing the same plants which have before appeared in other works. As 

 an example : in No. V. for this month (July, 1830) there are no less than 

 three plates of plants which have already appeared in Curtis's Botanical 

 Magazine : this is somewhat hard on subscribers to both works. Another 

 charge against the Register is the imposition of an additional shilling for a 

 single leaf of index at the end of every twelve numbers. On what plea can 

 such a charge be made. The work is dearer by 6s. per volume than the 

 Botanical Magazine, and no one will be hardy enough to assert that it is 



