2i<4< Retrospective Criticism. 



There are certain plants which will not grow in the atmosphere of a 

 crowded city, and there are others which thrive in the former, and will not 

 continue long in that of an alpine air. Some of the following plants grow 

 freely in the atmosphere of the crowded parts of the city of London : — 



" Plants that groiv freely : — Sycamore, elms, mulberries, ivies, Virginian 

 creepers, vines, Oriental planes, and bulbous and tuberous rooted plants, 

 except snowdrops. [The elder might be added to the trees.] 



" Plant that exists for only a few Years in perfect Health : — Laburnum. 



" Plants that exist inHealth only a limited Time: — Privets, and China roses. 



" Alpine plants scarcely ever produce flowers." 



Mr. Kitchen's celebrated Co/lection of Succulent Plants at Norwich is 

 about to be broken up. — We are sorry to learn this fact, and should hope 

 that some individual, or some scientific society in Norwich, will be found 

 spirited enough not to allow so great a botanical treasure as this collection 

 of succulents, to be carried away from them, and scattered abroad by non- 

 residents. Besides the fine and old specimens of rare and curious species 

 with which inspectors of this collection are familiar, numerous novelties 

 from abroad, many of them nondescripts, have, by the well known enter- 

 prise of Mr. Hitchen, been recently added to it. — Cond. 



Mushrooms grown by Mr. Calloiv. — Sir, I send you a few mushrooms, 

 part of the produce of a bed, made after the method I have recommended 

 in my work (seep. 213.). I flatter myself that you will find the quality 

 of them equal to any that are grown in the neighbourhood of London. 

 The bed from which these were gathered came into bearing about the 

 last week in October ; it has yielded an immense crop, and bids fair to 

 last yet for a month or six weeks longer. 



Cider from the French Bitter Scale. I also send two bottles of cider 

 made, in 1829, with a sort of apples which are known in this neighbour- 

 hood by the name of French bitter scale. I am sorry that I cannot 

 now send specimens of the fruit. 



The favourite Sorts of Apples for making Cider, in Butleigh and the ad- 

 joining parishes. The Old Jersey, Royal Jersey, Horner's bitter scale, 

 French bitter scale, Devonshire red streak, Gin apple, and Sweet pippin. 

 I think the Horner's bitter scale would be well adapted for the climate of 

 Scotland, as the trees never attain a large size; the branches are pendent, 

 like those of the weeping ash, and the tree blossoms at least a month later 

 than the other sorts, yet the fruit is ripe as early as the Jersey, and the 

 Devonshire red streaks. lam Sir, yours, &c. — Ediuard Callow. But- 

 leigh, Jan. 27. 1832. 



The mushrooms were fine, fleshy, and equal to any we ever tasted in 

 point of flavour. Cider we are no judge of, but that sent appeared very 

 good, and was certainly very strong. — Cond. 



Art. III. Retrospective Criticism. 



Corrections to the preceding Number, (viz. p. 1. to 128.) — Under the 

 notice of hybrid salpiglosses, date the genealogy of S. Barclay«?2ff from 

 S. straminea and S. atropurpiirea : not from S. picta and S. atropurpiirea, 

 as there stated. This correction has been since published by Mr. Sweet, 

 whose error we had followed. Make, in consequence, the same correction 

 in Vol. VII. p. 597. line 20. from the bottom. In line 32., also, of the 

 last-named page, for " Adenophora stylosa," read " Adenophora inter- 

 media ;" this being a second error into which Mr. Sweet had been led, and 

 which he has subsequently corrected. The synonyme " Liparis priochilus 

 B. C," p. 23. line 17. from the bottom, belongs not to " Plenrothallis 

 Lanceana," but to " Microstylis versicolor Lindl." in the line above it: a 

 shifting of the type occasioned this error. In p. 47. lines 2. and 3. for 



