574< Retrospective Criticism. 



interesting subject for competition into the flower shows, " by offering a prize 

 for the best specimen of flower-painting done by a lady." Much interest has 

 been excited here by a similar proceeding for some years past ; and it is to be 

 hoped that these examples may stimulate other societies to offer similar 

 rewards, thus encouraging the exercise of a talent highly useful and agreeable 

 in itself, as well as pleasing and beneficial in the perpetuation of a knowledge 

 of varieties and species of plants that otherwise might become, in their locality, 

 extinct. — S. Saffron Walden, April 15. 1834. 



We wish we could see prizes offered to the young gardener for the best- 

 drawn plans of parks and gardens, or sketches of trees, &c. — Cond. 



The Successors of the late Mr. Weare, Nurseryman, Coventry. — In p. 165., 

 while recommending Kirke's nursery, at Coventry, we have, among other 

 things, stated that he had been " very ill used by his late employers, Weare's 

 successors." We stated this on the authority of a most respectable gentle- 

 man, one of our correspondents, residing in the neighbourhood of Coventry; 

 and not from any personal knowledge of these successors, of whose very names 

 we were ignorant, till a letter from one of them was lately shown to us, stating 

 that they had not used Mr. Kirke ill. According to that letter, they certainly 

 have not done so ; and we therefore insert this paragraph in order to express 

 our regret that we should give publicity to a report likely either to injure them, 

 or to hurt their feelings. — Cond. 



Mr. Calvert 's Nursery at Rouen, (p. 428.)° — Mr. Garvie was discharged 

 from my establishment about six years ago, and he has never put his foot in my 

 gardens since that period. The whole of his assertions are false. He says my 

 nursery is all gone to wreck; an event that he had long expected. This 

 might have been the case, if I had suffered it to be cultivated by the English 

 gardeners that I have had over ; for my establishment never suffered but when 

 conducted by them. The fact is, that my garden was never in better pros- 

 perity than it is at present ; and that what Mr. Garvie calls a wreck was never 

 so well in flower as at this moment. I have thought it prudent, in order to 

 give his assertion a direct negative, to send you three newspapers and one 

 review, all published, within the last month, at Rouen ; and I hope you will, 

 injustice to me, translate those parts that will prove that my gardens are not a 

 wreck ; and that my family and self are respected by the press and inhabitants 

 of Rouen. The date of the first of these newspapers is August 28. 1834, 

 and it is called UEcho de Rouen ; the second is the Gazette de Normandie, 

 and is dated September 8. 1834; the third is the Clochette, and is dated Sep- 

 tember 21. 1834; and the review is called the Revue de Rouen, for this month. 

 All of these I beg of you to keep, that the readers of your Magazine may at 

 any time see them. I accompany these papers with four certificates from four 

 of the workmen now in my employ, to contradict the assertion that my men 

 were obliged to leave for the want of their wages being paid them. The first 

 of these certificates is signed by Vincent, who states that he has been thirteen 

 years in my service, and that William Garvie has never been in the garden 

 since he left. The second is from Mallet, a workman who states that he 

 has been nine years in my service, and that Garvie sent for him to a cafe near 

 my establishment, and that he took a glass of eau de vie with him ; but that 

 he did not enter the garden. The third is from L'Enfant, a gardener, who 

 has been six years in my service ; and the fourth is from Hardy, who states 

 that he has been three years in my service as a gardener. I have nine persons 

 daily occupied ; not one of whom has been less than twelve months with me. 

 So much for the assertion about the men not being paid, and that no one 

 would stay with me. These certificates also contradict the assertion which 

 says, " I was sorry to see such a fine nursery as this was," &c, p. 429. Now, 

 the fact is, that Garvie has not seen my nursery for these six years : and I 

 will give you another proof, if any more are wanted, by referring you to Mr. 

 Salter of Shepherd's Bush, who, when he saw Garvie's statement, kindly 

 offered to write a letter to you, which he has done, and begs of you to publish 

 it. This letter contradicts in toto all Mr. Garvie's tissue of falsehoods. The 

 property I hold and occupy as a nursery was given by the government to the 



