Domestic Notices : — England. 367 



" In an economical view, there is a lamentable deficiency in this catalogue. 

 In the whole of the species enumerated in the southern and middle regions, it 

 is doubtful if there be a single one which produces good timber. The best is 

 the Q. Enema, which is heavy, and unfit for most uses, and is now unfor- 

 tunately the only firewood in most parts of Castile, which is hourly diminish- 

 ing the scanty stock that yet remains. The mode of cutting increases the 

 evil ; the practice of the peasantry almost invariably being to level the whole 

 tract which they attack. The consequence is, that there is a tolerably vigorous 

 spring from the stocks. This is soon cut, when a more feeble spring takes 

 place, and is again levelled; after which operation being repeated a few times, 

 every remnant is annihilated, and the country reduced to the open waste it 

 now exhibits. In the oak tribe it is of vast consequence to have standard 

 trees, as the fruit is not blown about, and has a scanty power of vegetation, 

 which is soon lost by exposure to the air. The acorns fall in a mass under- 

 neath the tree, where they are soon devoured by various animals, or spring in 

 situations where they cannot thrive; whilst the seeds of the s)'camore, or ash, 

 or pines, are transported by the winds about, and have infinitely greater chance 

 of being perpetuated. The ash grows along the foot of the Guadarrama range, 

 but not farther south, to my knowledgCv The elms and poplars, and other 

 trees of similar description, are not intended to be noticed, being of little value 

 compared with the more important species enumerated. 



" Should it be intended sei'iously to establish woods and forests in Spain, 

 which must be done before any regular improven?ent can take place, the 

 Quercus Cerris, and probably the apennina and sessiliflora, which grows in the 

 kingdom of Naples, ought to be introduced in the southern and middle pro- 

 vinces, and above all the larch, of which the value is quite unknown, and for 

 which they have vast tracts of waste peculiarly suited. 



" It will be easily seen that naval resources for building may be said not to 

 exist. With the exception of a small quantity of the Q. i?6bur [? pedunculata] 

 in the northern provinces, only to be obtained with great difficulty and expense, 

 there is in the wide range of this magnificent country absolutely none avail- 

 able for such purposes." 



(jTo he continued.') 



Art. II. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



The Professorship of Botany at King's College has been given to Mr. David 

 Don, Librarian of theLinngean Society; acircumstance which we are exceedingly 

 glad of on various accounts. We had the pleasure of hearing Professor 

 Don's Introductory Lecture, May 2., as we had that of Dr. Lindley, seven 

 years before, in the London University, llapid indeed has been the progress 

 of scientific botany in London since that period ; mainly, as we believe, owing 

 to Dr. Lindley's having had the courage to commence teaching the Natural 

 System, instead of the Linnaean method. Professor Don did not, as far as 

 we could hear, state what mode of teaching he intended to pursue ; but we 

 have no doubt it will be one analogous to that of Dr. Lindley's, and calculated 

 to give the student a knowledge of the nature of plants, rather than a mere 

 key to the discovery of their names. In paying a tribute of respect to the 

 names of modern botanists who have advanced the science, we were glad to 

 observe that Professor Don included that of Du Hamel. We doubt much if 

 Du Hamel's merits as a vegetable physiologist are duly appreciated in this 

 country. It is astonishing to us to look back and reflect on the number of 

 years which British botanists and gardeners have been in becoming acquainted 

 with the doctrines which were perfectly familiar to Du Hamel in the middle 

 of the last century : for example, the ascent of the sap absorbed by the roots. 



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