62 Union of Horticulture and Botany in Public Gardens. 



approved varieties of fruit, kept in pots, for the convenience of 

 customers, both nurserymen and proprietors of gardens would 

 have an opportunity of procuring them at pleasure, and with 

 full confidence in their being genuine. Or it might be found 

 more convenient for one garden to confine itself to grapes, while 

 another took peaches, a third hardy wall fruit, &c. As to ex- 

 pense, I can hardly anticipate any material addition, for the sale 

 of fruit and young trees would evidently repay a part, at least, of 

 their culture, while it is also possible that the subscriptions 

 might be so much increased as to leave a profit. The example 

 set to the nurserymen of precision and care in the selection of 

 the sorts, would be an important lesson to them, and of no small 

 service to the conduct of their business. It is a common com- 

 plaint among these gentlemen, I understand, that small encou- 

 ragement is shown to them, except to a few of the most celebrated 

 in the vicinity of the metropolis. If so, it must be their own 

 fault. Let them show a good article, and they will be certain 

 to find plenty of customers. When a nurseryman once esta- 

 blishes a high name, he has always more orders than he can 

 execute. But, as the public become enlightened, they grow 

 pnore and more intolerant of Peter Pindar's razors, made to sell, 

 not to shave. In short, the dealer in fruit trees will find it his 

 best policy to imitate the industry of the dealer in florist's flowers, 

 and in ornamental plants in general. 



I cannot conclude this long, and I fear tedious, letter, without 

 adverting to the subject of agricultural seeds. To obtain in 

 their highest perfection every plant used in agriculture is evi- 

 dently an object of the first importance. How much yet re- 

 mains to be done, even in vegetables the most extensively 

 cultivated, is demonstrated by Colonel Le Couteur's experiments 

 on wheat. That enterprising and skilful agriculturist has proved 

 that not only the produce per acre, but the quality and quantity 

 of flour to be obtained from a given portion of wheat, are in- 

 fluenced, to a degree almost incredible, by the purity of the 

 seed ; that is, by its being of superior quality, and of one and the 

 same kind. He has also shown, in a masterly and satisfactory 

 manner, the essential differences in yield, straw, quality, &c., 

 among several varieties not usually known. Now, there can be 

 no doubt, that, were the same process pursued with other vege- 

 tables, similar results would be obtained; and we should find 

 that our commonly cultivated varieties of almost every field 

 plant might be improved to an almost indefinite extent. No- 

 thing would give me greater pleasure than if you, or any of 

 your correspondents, would suggest some plan of effectually 

 preserving the labours of such men as Colonel Le Couteur, 

 and also of imitating his efforts by applying similar means to 

 other vegetables. The problem seems to be, " How is pure 



