Retrospective Criticism. 507 



character that places G. concinna in Brown's section Eriostylis. I am, 

 Sir, &c. — Robert Sweet. Chelsea, May 14. 1831." Besides Mr. Sweet, 

 both Mr. Robert Brown and Mr. George Don have attested the perfect dis- 

 tinctness of G. Seyraoun'f^; and Mr. Don had in MS. denominated it G. 

 Lindlezi previously to Mr. Sweet's describing the species as above. — J. D. 

 fo7' Cond. 



Mr, Byers's Mode of culiivating Strawberries. — Sir, I am desirous that 

 others should profit by my mode, as detailed in Vol. V. p. 437, Last year 

 I gathered fruit on the 29th of May ; this day. May 24., I find several of 

 the Roseberry ripe, and in a day or two Keen's Seedling will be ready for 

 gathering : both, of course, without artificial aid. While, however, the 

 fruit is so forward on the south side of the walls, the plants on the north 

 sides are only now coming into blossom. The stems of the Wilmot's 

 Superb, and even of the Alpine, are from 12 in. to 14 in. long, and the 

 appearance of the crop is most encouraging; and, although the plants may 

 with propriety be renewed every year, a portion of a wall left by me proves 

 that they do not degenerate if left for a second crop. Let the walls, if 

 possible, be made and planted in July ; as the young plants will, in con- 

 sequence, have the more time to make the growth necessary for fruiting 

 strongly in the May and June of the following year. August is later than 

 I like for planting, although I know it will answer, provided weather and 

 plants are as one could wish. I have received a communication, informing 

 me that a wall made on my plan, with limestone, was, three weeks ago, 

 nearly one mass of blossom. I am. Sir, &c. — W. R. Byers. Mount Plea- 

 sant, May 24. 1831. 



Erratum. — V. 272. line 19. for " Mr. Collins," read " Mr. Colling." 



Art. VIII. Queries and Answers. 

 Vegetable Physiology. — After some years' practice in the " ancient 

 art " of tree-planting, &c., it is not without some degree of mortification that 

 I now begin to consider myself little better than a novice, and I must 

 acknowledge it costs no small sacrifice of self esteem thus to confess it; 

 but I hope my case will, at least, excite some degree of commiseration 

 when it is considered that the subject has been so bandied about 

 among "physiology," " analogy," and "metaphor;" illuminated by the 

 manufacture (not the burning) of rush-lights, coronas of " wax-lights," 

 " halos of gas," Latin sentences between crotchets, prose and poetry, 

 from the sublime to the " bathos," that it can be no marvel if the simple 

 mind of a wight like me should have got bewildered between the brilliant 

 glare on the one side and the Cimmerian darkness on the other. It is a 

 common saying that a fool at forty will never be wise, — perhaps that is 

 true, perhaps not ; but though no great way from that age myself, I assure 

 you I am still willing to learn ; and, lest that should be matter of doubt, 

 I proceed to ask one or two questions, which I should be glad to have 

 satisfactorily answered by any great luminary who will vouchsafe the 

 information ; caring nothing, so that sufficient light be let in, whether it 

 proceed from a rush or a gas light. First, then, I am about to plant (when the 

 weather gets finer) some peach, apricot, and cherry trees to train against 

 walls : shall I be right, if I leave all the shoots full length the nurserymen 

 please to send them ? and shall I be following the principles of physio- 

 logy in so leaving them ? If wrong, in what degree shall I cut them, 

 without violating these principles, and injuring my trees ? Wishing to 

 know the why and the wherefore of things, I should be glad to hear why 

 a little thinning would be injm'ious to, say a lime tree 20 ft. high, which 

 I may transplant next week, and in so doing shall of course curtail its 

 roots considerably ; and in what way such cutting can injuriously affect 



