266 Pine turn Woburnense. 



" My grandfather, who was of an impetuous and decided character, but 

 always just, instantly replied, ' Do as I desire you, and I will take care of your 

 reputation.' 



" The plantation, which ran for nearly a mile along the road leading from 

 the market-town of Woburn to that of Ampthill, was, consequently, thinned 

 according to the instructions of the Duke of Bedford, who caused a board to 

 be fixed in the plantation, facing the road, on which was inscribed, ' This 

 plantation has been thinned by John, Duke of Bedford, contrary to the advice 

 and opinion of his gardener.' " 



The above note appears in the Arboretum Britannic urn, vol. iv. p. 21S3., in 

 which, however, the word road, in the third line above, is inadvertently printed 

 wood, but this is noticed in the errata, p. 2597. 



We come next to the catalogue, in which species and varieties are described, 

 and most of them figured, of all of which there are plants in the pinetum at 

 Woburn. Of course, a greater number of species are figured and described 

 in the Arboretum Britannicum ; because in that work we did not limit our- 

 selves to species of which plants could be procured in the nurseries ; never- 

 theless, in the Pinetum Woburnense, there is one coniferous species, jfaxus 

 Harrington^, figured, and one or two doubtful species described, which are 

 not in our Arboretum. The particulars of these will be found in the following 

 review, which, besides giving a definite idea of the contents of a book which 

 cannot be purchased, maybe useful, as showing the number of living species 

 and varieties of Coniferas that may be collected together in the short space of 

 two or three years. 



Pinetum Woburnense. 



BinatcE. Leaves in pairs. 



. Thus pumilio, Pin. Wob. pi. 1., Arb. Brit. p. 2186., and Hort. Lig. p. 118. 

 • Pinus pumilio y Fiskern, Pin. Wob. p. 3., Arb. Brit. 2187., and Hort. Lig. 

 p. 118. Mr. Forbes agrees with us in thinking this only a variety of P. 

 pumilio, with somewhat longer leaves. 



Vinus Mughus, Pin. Wob. pi. 2., Arb. Brit. 2187., Hort. Lig. p. 118. Mr. 

 Forbes considers this the species denominated P. uncinata by Capt. S. E. 

 Cook, in which we think he is right. 



Pinus sylvestris, Pin. Wob. p. 7., Arb. Brit. p. 2153., Hort. Lig. p. 117. In 

 the Woburn nurseries are a quantity of plants of this species, raised from seed 

 imported from the north of Sweden. 



Pinus sylvestris y caraminica, Pin. Wob. p. 9. " Several plants of this pine 

 were reared here a few years ago, under the name of P. caraminica, which 

 have since been cultivated, side by side, with similar-sized plants of the P. syl- 

 vestris ; but I have been unable to discover any distinguishing characters 

 betwixt the two, either in the form, colour, or size of the leaves, or disposition 

 of the branches ; their terminal buds are, likewise, identical. I therefore con- 

 sider this as merely a variety of the P. sylvestris, and it is inserted here as the 

 Caraminian variety, until an opportunity occurs of examining its cones, which 

 may, perhaps, warrant its removal from this species ; but from what may be 

 judged by the present appearance of the plants, I entertain very slight hopes 

 of its proving any thing else than our Scotch fir. The Scotch, or wild, pine, 

 like all other plants extensively distributed by nature, differs much in different 

 situations and climates ; and it would be easy to select numerous varieties 

 from native woods in different parts of Europe, as well as from the seed beds 

 of the nurseries." We are glad to see Mr. Forbes rising superior to that 

 slavish fear which has hitherto too frequently prevented gardeners from exer- 

 cising their unbiassed judgement in the matter of specific distinctions. What- 

 ever admits of much doubt cannot be specifically distinct. Every species has 

 a natural characteristic which leaves no doubt as to whether it is a species or 

 a variety. There is no such thing in nature as one species agreeing with 

 another in every particular, except in one point; the fruit, for example. 

 Such differences can only constitute varieties. 



Pinus Escarena, Pin. Wob. p. 11., Arb. Brit. 2214., Hort. Lig. p. 119. 



