486 Retrospective Criticism. 



it of any kind ; all the alcohol it contains is genuine, the product of the 

 fruit and sugar. • To add brandy or spirit of any sort to wine, will spoil the 

 flavour of the best that ever was made, unless it be kept a certain number 

 of years, or added in a very small quantity. To employ the instrument 

 called a saccharometer is useless, as British fruits contain little or no sac- 

 charine matter properly so called ; it will indicate an increase or decrease 

 of density in the fluid, and that is all it will do. The same effect will be 

 produced by using a common glass hydrometer, which costs about six shil- 

 lings, and may be purchased at any optical or mathematical instrument 

 maker's ; but still I consider this as entirely useless, as it is unproductive of 

 any practical good. Mrs. R. acknowledges that the wine " sometimes " 

 turns sour ; I never had a cask of wine turn sour in my life. I must quit 

 this subject, as I find it would lead me too far for the present occasion, and 

 again refer to, and recommend, Dr. M'Culloch's treatise. 



Madura aurantidca. (Vol. I. p. 229.) — Our correspondent blames us for 

 stating that plants could be obtained at from 30s. to 2/. 25. a plant, and for 

 recommending the Madura as promising " to be a most valuable addition to 

 the dessert." He adds ; " In consequence of this notice, I purchased a plant, 

 and enquired its character afterwards. I shall here only quote the opinion 

 of one of the best judges of things of this kind in Europe, I mean Mr. 

 Loddiges, of Hackney : — he says it is a plant of very little value ; for, though 

 it will grow in the open air, it is more than probable that it never will fruit 

 in this country. If any person wishes for a plant of it, they may be sup- 

 plied by Mr. Charlwood, at Messrs. Seaman and Co.'s, Seedsmen, &c. oppo- 

 site the Royal Exchange, Cornhill, at 10*. a plant. So much for this ' most 

 valuable addition to the dessert ' (quaere desert)." 



Rhe'um palmdhim. (Vol. I. p. 396.) — As to its superiority over the other 

 species of Rh£um cultivated for culinary purposes, I can only say that many 

 persons have tried it for culinary purposes, and have discarded it on ac- 

 count of the unpleasant medicinal flavour which it possesses, &c. 



On referring to a recent discovery (p. 468.), it will be found that the R. 

 palmatum is ascertained not to be the medicinal rhubarb ; so that here our 

 correspondent is as far out in his taste, as we are supposed to be in our pre- 

 diction as to the Madura. 



The above criticisms are from Mr. W. Green, of Stepney, and have our 

 best thanks. Two other most valuable communications from him we hope 

 to find room for in our next Number, and in the mean time we request Mr. 

 Green will continue his remarks. (Cond.) 



" Mr. Surges' s Recipe for composing a Liquid for effectually destroying 

 Caterpillars, Ants, Worms, S^c. (p. 589.) no doubt will answer. Black soap of 

 itself will destroy ants ; a little lime-water will have the same effect with 

 worms j and I believe it is generally understood among gardeners, that a small 

 portion of slaked lime, and a third part of chimney-soot, will have the desired 

 effect with the caterpillars; What utility then is there in making the pre- 

 paration recommended by Mr. Burges ? Had it originated with Mr. Burges, 

 it would not have been the general opinion of your readers, that he was 

 trespassing on your valuable pages. I therefore consider it but justice to 

 your numerous readers, that you should state to them, that the recipe 

 was borrowed from Mr. Tatin : which you will find mentioned in the 

 Encyclopedia Londinensis, vol. iii. p. 905. which has been published these 

 twenty-seven years. As a reader of the Magazine, I should hope Mr. 

 Burges's forthcoming recipe for fruit trees may be of a later discovery. 



" May 22. 1827. A Constant Reader." 



Wyken Pippin. — I think your Buckingham Correspondent (p. 276.) is 

 not correct in naming the pippin, that he tried the experiment upon, the 

 Wyker Pippin ; I have no doubt it should have been Wyken Pippin ; a 

 most excellent apple, which I am sorry is not more known. The original 



