Retrospective Criticism. 689 



they have no more claim to be considered as distinct species of Quercus, than 

 these two varieties have to be considered as distinct species of ikf alus. At 

 the same time we may be wrong ; and we are always content to have our 

 opinions on this and on every other subject rigidly criticised by our readers, 

 for none of whom have we a greater respect than for M. Vilmorin j and this 

 respect, we believe, is shared by every person who knows that gentleman. — 

 Cond. 



Sj}ecies and Variety of 'Behda. — In p. 502. you state that you have " had 

 the most decided proofs that ^etula ^opulifolia H. K., B, excelsa H. K., B. 

 nigra Zy., B. pendula Roth^ B. pubescens Ehrh., and B. alba L., are all one 

 and the same species." As the above observations, coming from you, are 

 likely to deter planters from enquiring for more than one of these species in 

 place of all, I take the liberty of stating that I have examined the species in 

 question in the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society's gardens, as 

 obtained from Messrs. Loddiges, and find the first three species so distinct, 

 that no person could ever suspect them to be the same : indeed B. ^opulifolia 

 is so appropriately named, that it would be easier to pass it for a Populus, 

 than for any of the other species of ^etula. The three last species come 

 nearer each other ; but even in " their present state," in this garden, I con- 

 sider them distinct, and, when in flower, the catkins will probably afford more 

 satisfactory specific distinctions. The B. pendula must not be confounded 

 with B. alba var. pendula. I have put in specimens to dry of these six species, 

 and shall forward them for your examination at some future time. — Id. 



We are happy to receive the criticisms of a practical botanist of so much 

 experience and acuteness as Mr. Cameron. We do not deny that there is a 

 certain degree of distinctness in all or in most of the sorts of birch he men- 

 tions. We are quite aware that B. pendula is different from B. alba pendula ; 

 the latter being the common birch, and the former a weeping vai'iety of the 

 poplar-leaved variety of the common birch. All that we contend for is, that 

 all these varieties, and several others, may be picked out of seed-beds and 

 nursery rows of plants which have been raised from seeds of the common 

 British birch. Even if seeds of B. populifolia were sown, and produced 

 poplar-leaved plants, it would no more convince us that B. joopulifolia was a 

 species, than the circumstance of the seeds of the golden pippin apple pro- 

 ducing golden pippins rather than crabs, would convince us that that variety 

 of apple was a distinct species. We wish, however, to hear every opinion on 

 the subject; and we trust that we are not so wedded to our own, as not to 

 be able to alter it, when facts require that we should do so. — Cu7id. 



Ttdtkt/i'usArmitageanuSy^c, (p. 523.) — In recording iathyrus Armitagednus 

 West., Birm. Bot. and Hort. Soc, and O'xalis Darwailimia West., Birra. Bot. 

 and Hort. Soc, you have given a wrong explanation of West. It is the abbre- 

 viation of the name of Mr. Frederick Westcott, one of the honorary secretaries 

 of the Birmingham Botanical and Horticultural Society, by whom the specific 

 characters of these two plants were drawn up, as published in Aris's Birming- 

 ham Gazette. There is only another society in Birmingham of a similar nature, 

 and it is not likely to be confounded with this. It is termed " The Warwick- 

 shire Floral and Horticultural Society," — David Cameron. Botanic Garden, 

 Birmingham, Oct. 6. 1835. 



The Question whether Potatoes ought to be planted luhole or in Sets, appears 

 to be still undecided. It is still vexata questio. In p. 536. some opinions of 

 Mr. Hollist are mentioned. My experience flatly contradicts his notion. I 

 have no doubt but that whole potatoes produce the greatest weight. I proved 

 to a friend of mine in Yorkshire that, by his mode of cultivating potatoes, 

 he lost not less than one thousand pounds last year. I once before addressed 

 you on this subject of potatoes, in the hope that you would have called the 

 public attention to it ; and I told you I should make an accurate experiment 

 this year. I did so, but I fear it will fail. We were without rain for six 

 weeks : the haulm was quite burnt up ; and now the weather is so wet, that I 

 cannot take the potatoes up. However, I will note the result, be it what it 



Vol. XL — No. 69. 3d 



