'Retrospective Criticism. 289 



Art. VI. Retrospective Criticism. 



Corrections. — In p. 122. line 8. for " Mr. Rule," read " Mr. Rowell" 

 (principal gardener to the Earl of Durham). In p. 197. line 6. for " James 

 the First of Scotland," read " James the Sixth of Scotland." 



Botanic and other Gardens at Oxford. — In reading the very interesting 

 account of your visit to Oxford (104 — 1 14.), I observed one or two trifling 

 mistakes; which, as I know you will not be offended at it, I shall take the 

 liberty of pointing out to you. In p. 105., should it not have been Dr. Pococke, 

 instead of Cardinal Wolsey ? I think it is generally believed at Christ Church 

 that the oldest fig tree in that college (which is now growing in the garden of 

 the Rev. Mr. Pusey, canon of Christ Church, and Regius Professor of He- 

 brew) was planted there by Dr. Pococke in the year 1648. In p. 107. and 

 108., in two or three places, for " Tegg" read " Tagg." In p. 109. you in- 

 form us, on Mr. Humphry's authority, that he was the first who proposed the 

 establishment of a garden library for the use of the Oxford gardeners. This 

 is certainly a mistake, for the society originated with myself; and its meetings 

 were held at my house, every Wednesday evening, for nearly two years after 

 its first establishment. Dr. Daubeny, Regius Professor of Botany and Che- 

 mistry, is president. See our First Report [noticed in Cat. Brit. p. 271.]. 

 Page 111. for " Gerarde" read " Sherard." I published only two numbers 

 of my work on mosses, instead of three, as stated in p. 113. 



You will, I am sure, be glad to hear that the Professor of Botany is build- 

 ing me a new room (14 ft. square) for my collection of books, &c, on the site 

 of the old one, which is pulled down. Among other alterations that are going 

 on here, the old yew hedges which you speak of are taken down, and their 

 place will be occupied by a border of ornamental shrubs and herbaceous 

 plants. A new hot-house is commenced, and will soon be finished. — William 

 Baxter. Botanic Garden, Oxford, April 28. 1834. 



Corrections and Suggestions for the Improvement of the new Edition of the 

 Encyclopaedia of Gardening. — Directions for forcing flowers in winter and 

 early spring, as practised in some of the London nurseries, would, to many 

 gardeners, be one of the most useful parts of the book; and if a section were 

 devoted to that subject, in my opinion it would be far preferable to the mode 

 adopted in the former editions of the Encyclopedia. Many plants, also, are 

 usually forced, of which no mention is made in the former editions : such are 

 the azalea, lilac, pink, &c. A list of the species and varieties best adapted 

 for forcing, distinguishing such as are scented, might be added with advantage. 



Few things are of greater importance to a gardener than the knowledge of 

 the best way to destroy or check the ravages of his numerous enemies among 

 the insect tribes ; more especially of that " prince of mischief," the red spider. 

 The rapidity with which this insect increases is amazing; and were it not that 

 the age of credulity is passed away, I should almost be tempted to believe in the 

 agency of Dr. Plott's materia pinguis, so very unaccountable is the manner in 

 which they are produced. I have now under my charge a hot-house which 

 has lately been painted, the walls whitewashed, and the outer bark of the 

 vines on the rafters carefully peeled off, and the inner bark washed with a 

 lather of soft soap ; yet, before the grapes were fairly set, hundreds of red 

 spiders were preying upon the leaves ; and although the plants are daily well 

 syringed, the insects continue to increase. In the last edition of the Encyclo- 

 paedia, water is mentioned as a " well-known preventive and remedy ; " but 

 having found that ineffectual, I beg to ask if nothing better is known ? What 

 are the results of the trials of a preparation mentioned in a Number of this 

 Magazine as being (if 1 mistake not) then under the test of experiment, by 

 Mr. Mills and others? [See IX. 697.] My brother gardeners will join me in 

 the opinion, that the man who succeeds in discovering a practicable method 

 of exterminating this formidable pest will have a claim upon public gratitude 

 stronger than the most renowned warrior, in the proportion that a destroyer 

 of insects is a more estimable character than a destroyer of men. I am now 



