106 Retrospective Criticism. 



able ; but A. vittata, and the flowers from it, are longer in producing flowers 

 from seed than any others. The most beautiful of all, I consider A. vittata 

 fertilised by the pollen of A. striatifolia. Yours, truly, — R. Sweet. Pomona 

 Place, King's Road, near Fidham, Nov. 28. 1828. 



Cohhet£s Corn. — Mr. Cobbctt is by no means the first who has succeeded 

 in raising the Indian corn in Great Britain. Several years ago, I witnessed, 

 in the garden of Mr. William Stickny, of Ridgmont, in Holderness, plants 

 of Indian corn reared from seeds of his own sowing, matured the preceding 

 season in the open air. I remember to have been informed of a species of 

 Indian corn sown as a successive crop in the Neapolitan territory, after the 

 wheat had been reaped, called " Mdlica quarantina," or Forty Days' Indian 

 Corn, so termed in virtue of the extraordinary rapidity of its growth and 

 maturation. Indian corn is there used, with extraordinary success, in the 

 fattening of pigs, and has proved equally efficient in this country. The 

 British farmer will scarce venture his capital on so fragile a basis as the cul- 

 tivation of Indian corn. Now and then a favourable season may present 

 itself; but, like " angel visits," these periodic returns " will be few and far 

 between." It is vaunted that the leaves may be manufactured into paper, 

 but what is there, nowadays, that has not been converted into what is 

 called " paper." The leaves and stems of the hollyhock and potato, straw, 

 and sawdust, &c. — J. Mjirray. 



Indian Corn. — I was the first who recommended the Indian corn for 

 field culture in this country, which I did in a letter to G. Talbot, Esq., of 

 Guiting, in this countj', seven years ago. — C. Hale Jessoii. Cheltenham 

 Nursery, October 50. 1828. 



Yerhena Mellndris, by ivhom introduced. — Sir, I observe in the Botanical 

 Register, No. viii. vol. xiv. No. 1184,, a drawing of a new Terbena, which 

 was made from a plant, communicated, on the 20th of June last, by Mr. 

 Harrison, gardener to the Earl of Egremont ; and, as he has not stated 

 in what way he came in possession of this plant, I conjecture it m^y be gra- 

 tifying to the public to know by whom it was introduced. The seed of this 

 Ferbena, and various others, were collected in the neighbourhood of Buenos 

 Ayres, by Mr. Poussette, and communicated, in 1826, from Rio Janeiro, to 

 John Hawkins, Esq., Bignor Park, in whose garden it first grew, and flovt'ered 

 in May 1827, for the first time in this country. In the autumn of the same 

 year, Mr. Harrison's two sons called at Bignor Park, when I related the 

 circumstance to them, and gave them a plant of the above-named Terbena 

 with various others. Early this last summer, I was telling an acquaintance 

 of my intention of getting it figured ; he directly replied, " You are too 

 late ; for I saw it at Petworth garden the other day, and young Mr. Harri- 

 son told me it had been sent by them for that purpose. In a few days after 

 this, I called on Mr. Harrison ; and, when walking round the garden, with 

 Mr. Harrison, jun., he showed me the plant in flower. I then told him 

 I intended sending it to get it figured, but he was not candid enough to 

 tell me what had been done respecting it either by himself or his father. I 

 then determined to await the result of the information communicated by 

 my acquaintance; and, finding his assertion true, I think I have an undoubted 

 right to request of you to insert these few lines, to do justice to Mr. Pous- 

 sette, and credit to myself. I beg the readers of this will not, for a 

 moment, suppose I write it through any resentment against Mr. Harrison, 

 as I certainly consider that he was at liberty to do as he thought proper 

 with it ; but I cannot but think it would have appeared better in the eyes 

 of the public, had he been grateful enough to state in what way, and through 

 whose goodness, he came in possession of it. I cannot say as yet whether 

 this Ferbena will stand our winters or not, without the help of a frame. I 

 have one plant doing very well under a hand-glass, where it has flowered 

 -from May till the 10th of this month. Your constant reader, — John Perry. 

 Bignor Park, Petworth, Sussex, Nov, 24. 1828. 



