520 Retrospective Criticism. 



You recollect the immense silver firs at Woodhouselee. It is seven years 

 since I was there, but my son informs me that they are still in vigour. It is 

 now a good many years since I sent you my first communication [see I. 29.], 

 soon after which I went to a place in the north, from which I have just 

 returned. — James Simson. 



IRELAND. 



Dublin, Aug. 12. — All foreboding of failure in the potato crop in this 

 country is now at an end. I never remember such sultry weather as we have 

 at present, and I have never before observed the air in such an extreme state 

 of dryness as it was in Dublin this day. You have heard, I suppose, that our 

 college has invited the British Association for the Advancement of Science to 

 hold their next meeting in Dublin. I hope they may accept it. We are on 

 the advance in those matters here. You have heard of the appointment of 

 Mr. Nevin as curator to the Dublin Society's Botanic Garden. He is a clever 

 fellow, and is doing wonders there. The garden wears a new face already, 

 and he has only been there about three months. — R. 



Art. IV. Retrospective Criticism. 



Corrections. — In p. 326., for "Portsmouth rail-road" read " Southampton 

 rail-road;" and in p. 329., for " 16 ft. in diameter" read " 16 ft. in circum- 

 ference." In pages 296. and 352., for " Clawance," read " Ciowance." In 

 fig. 70. p. 374., trees are put in the wall borders inside, which is a mistake 

 of the engraver's. 



Depressed State of the Nursery Business. (VIII. 129. 134.) — On looking 

 over some of the back volumes of your Gardener's Magazine, I happened to 

 cast my eye upon your remarks, relative to the depressed state of the nursery 

 business; and, as this trade still remains in nearly the same condition, it will, 

 perhaps, not be inopportune, if I now make a few observations on the causes 

 which I think have produced this result. I by no means intend to impugn 

 the justice of your conclusions, neither do I question but that the causes 

 which you have assigned have, more or less, affected this business; but you 

 have omitted to advert to one or two circumstances, which, in my opinion, 

 have had a greater influence on this trade, than any of the reasons stated by 

 you. 



Some time previous to the institution of the London Horticultural Society, 

 a long and expensive war, with other circumstances, had caused a very great 

 expenditure ; trade and commerce had increased in a wonderful degree ; in 

 consequence of _ which rapid fortunes were made, and a taste for the luxuries 

 and the elegancies of life extended in a surprising manner. In this state of 

 things, it was not to be supposed that the pleasure to be derived from the study 

 of botany, and the cultivation of plants, should be overlooked, and hence 

 arose a great demand for plants, and an anxious desire, on the part of a vast 

 number of individuals, to procure new ones from abroad. This in time pro- 

 duced the London Horticultural Society, which, I believe, was originally insti- 

 tuted principally for the purpose of procuring new plants from foreign coun- 

 tries, and was commenced in a very humble way. I apprehend it was always 

 in the contemplation of the Society to induce individuals, by bestowing some 

 mark of distinction on them, to exert themselves in producing the finest speci- 

 mens of fruits, &c, or in raising new varieties. If the Society had confined 

 their views to these objects, they would have done all that was necessary for 

 fostering and extending the love of horticulture ; but they were not con- 

 tented with this : they considered it necessary to extend their operations, by 

 taking a large place at Chiswick ; and, for the purpose of defraying their in- 

 creased expenses, converted a society, formed originally for the advancement 

 of horticulture, into a trading company, for the sale of horticultural pro- 

 ductions ; for this it manifestly has been for some years. To this cause is 



