284 Retrospective Criticism. 



direction, the last Supplement to the Hortus Britannicus, and the forthcoming 

 Supplement to the Enct/clopcedia of Plants ; and we can, from these and other 

 circumstances, most strongly recommend him as peculiarly well adapted for 

 being the curator of a botanic and horticultural garden. We trust some 

 good appointment of this sort will be his lot at no distant period. — Cond. 



IRELAND. 



Botanic Garde^i, Glasnevin, Dublin, March 17. 1841. — From the unre- 

 mitting interest you take in behalf of young gardeners, and the many persuasive 

 arguments you have from time to time published, with u view of encouraging 

 them to mental improvement, I feel convinced, you will be gratified to find 

 that others of a kindred spirit are not wanting, who most liberally contribute 

 to the means for obtaining so desirable an object. The following books 

 were lately bequeathed by the late Mr. Robertson, nurseryman, Kilkenny, 

 in trust to the Royal Dublin Society, for the use of the professors, curators, 

 subcurators, and pupils in the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, where the library is 

 desired to be placed, and in such a way as it can be made available to all 

 concerned. 



These books, to such an establishment as this, will be of the very greatest 

 value to it ; because there are constantly from eight to ten young men employed, 

 who generally come from the country, and remain a term of two years in the 

 Society's gardens, after which they go out to make way for others. During 

 that period they are regularly put through all the departments in the garden, 

 and afforded an opportunity of annually attending a course of botanical lec- 

 tures. Hitherto the want of a garden library, where the young men could 

 read in the evenings, has been very much felt ; but now, since the books are 

 supplied by the liberality of Mr, Robertson, there can be no doubt of the 

 Society making any further arrangements which may appear necessary for 

 carrying out Mr. Robertson's intentions. — D. Moore. 



Mr. Robertson, F.H.S., died in August, 1839, and a short notice of the 

 circumstance will be found in our obituary for that year (p. 584.) We 

 have not given a list of the books, which amount to upwards of 420 

 volumes of gardening and botanical publications, mostly published since the 

 commencement of the present century, and including all that have, during 

 that period, been, either in France or England, considered the most valuable. 

 We deeply regret to learn that, since the donation was received, the Irish 

 Government has refused to continue the annual grant to the Dublin Society ; 

 but surely such a refusal cannot be persisted in, since, if there were nothing 

 more to result from it than the ruin of this garden, the loss to Ireland would 

 be very great indeed. — Cond. 



" It would appear, from a circular issued by the Lord-Lieutenant, that, 

 though His Lordship declines recommending the usual parliamentary grant 

 of 5,300/. per annum, it is competent for the commission to report in favour 

 of continuing it to the Dublin Society, should they think that the public 

 would be benefited by so doing." {Times, April 9. 1841.) 



Art. III. Retrospective Criticism. 



Comparative Temperature of different Years, (p. 235.) — Your correspondent 

 N. remarks on my paper upon the equality of temperature, that the average 

 temperature is found to vary as much as 5°, therefore, I beg to inform him 

 that I took as my authority Professor Whewell. In his Bridgewater Treatise, 

 he states that the average temperature is about 50*4 ; that the year 1788 was 

 so severe that the Thames was passable on the ice, and the mean temperature 

 50-6, being within a small fraction of a degree of the standard. In 1796, 

 when the greatest cold ever known in London occurred, the mean was 50* 1, 

 which is likewise within a small fraction of the standard. In 181.3-14, the 

 average temperature was 49°, being little more than a degree below the 



