Retrospective Criticism. 601 



cheering to reflect, however, that the practical directions in general are correct, 

 the author contending that it is necessary, for the process of fructification, 

 that there should be a surface of leaves equal to the quantity of sap taken in by 

 the roots. No one firmly convinced of the elaborating properties, &c,, of the 

 leaves could be more careful of them than he is ; and, although openly deny- 

 ing this property, he has evidently felt so much conviction of its truth as to 

 lay his own theory open to the charge of inconsistency : in proof of which I 

 would advert to what is said (p. 140. and 141.) respecting the power of a 

 plant to propel its sap in every direction; and of every part of the plant having 

 the power of appropriating to itself the requisite portion, and of passing on the 

 remainder to the leaves, to be employed in their formation, or thrown off as 

 excrementitious ; and to what is stated in p. 145., of the sap-inspissating, and, 

 in p. 192., of the food-digesting and food-appropriating properties of leaves. 

 Admiring, as 1 do, the practical directions given by Mr. Hayward, I regret that 

 there should not be the most perfect harmony between the principles of science 

 which he lays down, and that practice which he professes to deduce from them. 

 Upon the production of varieties, among much that is interesting, will be found 

 some useful hints to the farmer upon cross-breeding ; as also directions, at the 

 conclusion of the volume, for turning arable land into pasturage, without losing 

 a year's crop, by sowing the seed in the autumn. In the part on the diseases 

 of plants will be found a new remedy for destroying the red spider ; namely, 

 syringing the plants with water in wliich common salt has been dissolved : a 

 teaspoonful of salt to a gallon of water is as much as can be used with safety; 

 and it will be well to wash the tree with pure water a day or two after the 

 application of the salt. With the part relating to training, &c., I can find no 

 fault ; the appearance of the trees, upon paper at least, is splendid, that of the 

 peach in particular: but I may express my doubts of the possibility of keeping 

 the two side-leaders in an equally healthy state in all situations, as we all know 

 that in some situations it is difficult to prevent common standard peaches and 

 nectarines from having their stems cracked, shriveled, &c., by the frost of 

 winter and the heat of summer. Considering the volume likely to be useful, 

 I shall take my leave of it for the present, expressing a hope that, though no 

 price is marked upon it, it has been published sufficiently low to put it within 

 the reach of the working gardener. — Scientice ct Justiticz Amator. 



The Horsechestnid, a lumpish Tree, Sfc. — At p. 480. of the present Volume 

 of your Magazine, Mr. Blaikie writes as follows : — " One of your correspond- 

 ents calls a fine horsechestnut a lumpish tree, and says it ought not to be left 

 upon a lawn," &c. If Mr. Blaikie will have the kindness to refer to my 

 article again (X. 370.), he will find that he was not perfectly correct in quot- 

 ing what I said, as I did not intimate the necessity of an utter exclusion of 

 the horsechestnut as a lawn plant, but only that it should be sparingly made 

 use of as such. I agi'ee with Mr. Blaikie, that instances may be found where the 

 horsechestnut assumes a different figure from that which might be considered 

 it does on reading my article ; and that it may be frequently seen towering up 

 to a considerable height ; but, where this is the case, I believe it will be gene- 

 rally found that it has been assisted, and drawn up among, or close to, other 

 trees ; at least, this has been the ease as far as my experience goes : neverthe- 

 less, instances may, perhaps, be found to the contrary, in soils and situations 

 which are congenial towards forwarding its growth in a different way from what 

 I conceive to be its natural habit. One objection which I have to the horse- 

 chestnut, as a single tree on a lawn, is, that, in many instances, its foliage forms 

 an exterior dress impenetrable to the eye, so as to exclude from view its rami- 

 fications ; and another is, that it does not present that irregularity of surface 

 which is necessary to produce that diversity of light and shade so desirable 

 towards rendering it a tree to be classed among the first-rate class of orna- 

 mental trees. If I am mistaken in these views, I shall be happy to stand cor- 

 rected. One word more : does Mr. Blaikie confine himself to the growth of 

 the horsechestnut as it is seen on the Continent ? If so, his considerations will, 

 Vol, XI. — No. 68, x x 



