Retrospective Criticism. 573 



The extent of the garden being 18 acres, with a range of grass 300 ft. in 

 length, the narrowest part of which is 24 ft. in width, it will therefore readily 

 occur to those who know any thing practically of the labour and attention 

 required in a garden of this extent, even to maintain the appearance of order 

 and neatness, that there can be but little leisure for the nicer operations of 

 the art. Indeed, to render a garden of this extent what it should be, there 

 ought to be at least double the amount of labour bestowed upon it. But, 

 although the circumstances of the Institution have made it necessary to adopt 

 this alternative with regard to labour, I wish distinctly to have it understood, 

 that in such cases as ours, where the extent of lawn is considerable, I should 

 on no account whatever think of employing professional gardeners in mowing, 

 sweeping, hoeing, &c. Were there no other reasons for this preference, 

 economy alone would be a sufficient motive. — R. MarnocJc. Sheffield, August 

 20. 1839. 



Cause of the Barrenness of the Hautbois Strawberry. — Having seen a notice, 

 p. 472., stating the probable cause of the barrenness of the hautbois straw- 

 berry, I beg to send you my opinion, or rather practice. Now, of those plants 

 that are barren, neither their own pollen, nor the pollen of any other variety, 

 will make the fleshy receptacle swell. The method I pursue in getting good 

 crops of the hautbois is simply this : I make a plantation of them some time 

 in August, from runners that have produced fruit, and when they come into 

 flower, I go carefully over them, and pull up all those that show imperfect 

 blossoms. They are distinguished at a glance. Those plants that will swell 

 their fruit are full and plump in the centre, and of a fine yellow colour, while 

 those that are barren have large petals, with a low centre and very meagre 

 appearance. It must be kept in mind that the plants that have produced 

 fruit will produce unfruitful runners, and that, unless fresh plantations are 

 frequently made, the fruitful stools will become barren. — Cotsivold. Stroud, 

 August 23. 1839. 



Moms Arb. Brit., p. 1350. — A few of the fruit of ikfdrus alba are pleasant : 

 say two dozen at a taste ; more cloy the appetite, by reason of their sweetness. 

 — J. M. 



Morus alba Arb. Brit., p. 1354. — Dr. Franklin only recommended the 

 establishment of a silk society from England, where he then resided as agent 

 of the colony of Pennsylvania. The cultivation of silk is confined now 

 to the northern states. The southern states neglect it almost entirely. 

 I have urged attention to it, as a means of occupying the old and the young 

 slaves, who are a great expense to their owners. A man or woman with 

 only one arm could be profitably employed ; nay, I have no doubt but that, 

 in a period of twenty years, two persons each, with ten or fifteen slaves, 

 commencing cotton-planting and the silk culture, the balance of profit would 

 be in favour of the latter concern. Cotton requires a great capital, to pur- 

 chase land and negroes, and prepare the land and the cotton for market. Silk 

 requires but little capital, if the mulberry trees are at hand, and the returns 

 are received in the course of the year. While the white mulberry trees or 

 the .Mdrus multicaulis are growing, the worms might be fed on the leaves of 

 the native M. rubra, which I again say yields a very strong silk. Cotton is 

 very variable in price, the upland species is now 6 cents per pound, while 

 last year it brought 16 to 20. Silk is in great demand, and will continue to 

 be. Several companies have been incorporated in the states north of the 

 Potowmac, to cultivate silk, and to manufacture it ; and one recently organised 

 in the state of Delaware (adjoining and south of Pennsylvania), with a 

 capital of 500,000 dollars. In five years after sowing the seed, the leaves 

 may be used. Millions of white mulberry trees have been planted in the 

 course of a few years past, and millions will be planted annually for years 

 to come. — J. M. 



M.rilbra Arb. Brit., p. 1360. — Silkworms feed and thrive well on the leaves of 

 the -Morus rubra; and the experience of the people of Pennsylvania, before 

 the American war, and of the silk society then in Philadelphia, proved that 



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