] 82 Catalogue of Works on Gardening, fyc. 



mits them, however, to exist to a great extent in the Cucurbitaceae, and in the 

 genus Pelargonium, but not among the cereal grasses. Linnaeus, he says, has 

 given the specific name of hybrid to various plants that he suspected to be of 

 hybrid origin, without proof of their being so. His idea was, that, since the first 

 creation, not only a great number of species, but even genera, had been formed 

 by hybridism. He admitted the formation of the Veronica spuria by the V. 

 maritima and the Ferbena officinalis; the Saponaria hybrida, by means of the 

 S. officinalis and a gentian. He thought that the Aquilegia canadensis was the 

 offspring of A. vulgaris and Fumaria sempervirens, and so on. This, however, 

 is nothing compared with the opinion of M. Henschel, who speaks of hybrids 

 between Polemonium casruleum and a Tropae^olum, and between the common 

 spinach and the Weymouth pine. 



Hecueil pubUe par la Societe cV Agriculture de P Arrondissement d'Avranches. 

 Premiere Annee. 8vo, Nos. ], 2, and 3. Avranches, 1838. 



This is a cheap agricultural periodical, intended for circulation within the 

 arrondissement d'Avranches. The articles are intended to be of a practical 

 nature ; and they are so plainly written, as to meet the capacity of the most 

 humble cultivator. In No. I. is a translation of the receipt for preparing 

 Forsyth's plaster, from the Treatise on Fruit Trees. No. II. contains a Report 

 on Jauftret's manure; and No. III. contains a notice on the O'xalis crenata. The 

 most useful article which we have seen in the three numbers is one pointing 

 out the advantages of plucking the blossoms from potato plants, in order to 

 increase the quantity and bulk of the tubers. Among the list of members we 

 are glad to see the name of our correspondent, Bataille, Conservateur du 

 Jardin de Botanique d'Avranches, a good botanist, and a scientific gardener. 

 M. Bataille's predecessor edited an edition of Quintinye's Traite des Jardins, 

 which was published in 3 vols, in 1789. 



JEssai de Formides Botaniques, representant les Caracteres des Plantes j)ar des 

 Signes Analytiques, qui remplacent les Phrases descriptives ; suivi d'un Vocabu- 

 laire Organograjohique, et d'une Synonymie des Organes. Par N. C. Seringe 

 et Guillard. Paris. 4to. 



This is a work involving a great deal of thought and botanical knowledge; 

 but whether, if the formulas proposed were generally adopted, the result would 

 contribute to the diffusion of botanical knowledge, we very much doubt. The 

 beau ideal of all language, and of all formulas, figures, and signs, is, that they 

 should be universally understood. The memory should be burdened as little 

 as possible with signs, in order that it may be occupied with the ideas of the 

 things signified. What a saving it would be to the youth of the present 

 day, if there were only one living language in Europe ! and that this will be 

 the case, in clue time, we have no doubt. Nay, we go much farther. But it 

 may be said, that, though this system of formulas will have no tendency to the 

 diffusion of botanical knowledge, it will promote the acquirement of it by those 

 who devote themselves to the study of botany. This may possibly be the 

 case : we leave that to be determined by the botanists; but, even if it should not 

 be so, every credit is due to the authors of this work, for having made the 

 attempt ; which, as we have already said, displays much ingenuity, care, and 

 labour. 



The Vocabulaire Organographique, or dictionary of terms applied to the 

 organs of plants, is copious, and contains numerous references to species, 

 illustrative of these terms ; and it is followed by a list of terms to be excluded 

 from the language of botany, as inexact, incorrect, or superfluous. The num- 

 ber of these terms is no less than 1349, while that of the terms to be retained, 

 as given in the Vocab. Organogr., is 154. The reformation of botanical lan- 

 guage is obviously a subject of very great importance ; and we could wish that 

 Professor Henslow, in his excellent Dictionary, now publishing in monthly 

 portions in the Botanist, would indicate such terms as he thinks might be 



