Retrospective Criticism. 575 



town of Rouen to create a garden of plants : but with the condition that the 

 corporation should indemnify me. They have already paid me 27,000 francs 

 on account ; the remainder to be paid upon my giving up possession. I can 

 remain two years longer ; but 1 may leave this year, if I arrange with the 

 town. At all events I shall not leave Rouen. I am much flattered by the 

 greater part of the members of the corporation wishing me still to remain at 

 Trianon, and cultivate the gardens for the town. 



In my nursery, at this moment, there are from eight to ten thousand 

 georginas, several thousand roses, from three to four thousand camellias, from 

 two to three thousand pelargoniums, and several thousand plants in pots, and 

 containing every thing new which I have been able to obtain. If this is to be 

 considered as the wreck of a horticultural establishment, what would your 

 correspondent consider enough to complete a nursery ? I am satisfied that I 

 have too many plants ; and I should be very happy to have less, as nothing 

 would please me better than to find purchasers for them. — W. C. Calvert. 

 Trianon, Rouen, Sept. 27. 1834. 



Extract from Mr. Salter's Letter. — In passing through Rouen, about three 

 weeks since, I visited the garden of Mr. Calvert; and can take upon myself 

 to state that what Mr. Garvie asserts respecting it is not the case ; also that 

 any person passing through Rouen may see at the Trianon, among other 

 plants, the finest collection of georginas in France. — John Salter. Shep- 

 herd's Bush, Sept. 24. 1834. 



The certificates referred to by Mr. Calvert are left with us, and also the 

 newspapers and the review. All the latter praise the collection of georginas 

 at the Trianon, but at such length that we cannot afford room for translations. 



The Advantage of " Cutting off young Oaks close to the Ground two or more 

 Years after they are planted," I am well acquainted with ; though Mr. Law- 

 rence doubts (p. 465.) whether 1 adopt the plan. I love oaks dearly, young or 

 old, thriving or in decay; and plant and encourage them more than most men 

 in my sphere. — W. T. Bree, in a letter dated Sept. 4. 1834. 



Tobacco in Ireland, (p. 503.) — In the quotation from Mr. Wilson's article 

 on tobacco, published in the Hort. Trans., the culture of tobacco in Ireland is 

 spoken of as being still continued. This is not the case. The culture of 

 tobacco in Ireland is now prohibited ; and the native stock was bought up by 

 government, and burnt. — R. London, Oct. 1834. 



Smith's Treatise on the Growth of the Cucumber, Mushroom, fyc. (IX. 692.) 

 — Having this season grown both cucumbers and mushrooms according to the 

 directions laid down in that work, I deem it but justice to the author to 

 state the result of my experience. On the 1st of February I built my succession 

 bed for cucumbers, and on the 8th of that month ridged out my plants; and 

 I must say, candidly speaking, never did I, through all my long experience, 

 see plants grow with such facility. They have answered my most sanguine 

 expectations ; the fruit, from the first to the present time, has been exceed- 

 ingly fine. With the mushrooms I proceeded precisely in the manner pre- 

 scribed by Mr. Smith ; and the result was, that, as near as possible to the time 

 he mentions, my first mushroom began to appear. The first time I cut, I ga- 

 thered forty ; the second time, twice that number ; and the third time, nearly 

 a bushel ; the bed continuing to yield in the same proportion to the beginning 

 of May last. Rhubarb, sea-kale, and asparagus, I have, myself, had no oppor- 

 tunity of cultivating as directed ; but I have lately seen it grown on the same 

 principle, and feel confident that it is fully practicable. From the plain and 

 simple rules laid down in Mr. Smith's very useful work, I am fully persuaded 

 that any person giving them proper attention will insure success. In justice to 

 the author, I shall feel obliged by your giving this letter insertion. — W. Redyer t 

 Practical Gardener and Florist. Beccles, Suffolk, Aug. 21. 1834. 



The Curl in the Foliage of the Potato, (p. 433.) — At the time I was a boy, 

 the plants of potatoes of the red-nosed kidney kind were, in this village, so 

 much subject to the curl, for several years, that we (all the gardeners) were 

 afraid that we should wholly lose the kind. We pursuantly got seed from 



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