to the Roots of Plants. 247 



if I am vanquished, let it be manfully, honourably, and 

 fairly. But for the ambuscade I allude to, sooner than this 

 (had he afforded me the satisfaction I requested, namely, the 

 honour of his acquaintance) I would have measured swords with 

 him on common ground. But be it so, he seems to have tried 

 me upon another tack ; and now I shall slacken sail a bit, and 

 give this heroic privateer a fair chance of "coming to" if he 

 will. Perchance, he may be tempted for the glory of his country 

 (wherever it may be) manfully to hoist his colours. My flag is 

 unfurled, and floats in the breeze. The decks are cleared, and 

 all is made tight for action. Sea-room, he may rest assured, I 

 have plenty ; and I shall cruise about near the bright broad 

 bay of Dublin until the month of September next, when, at the 

 Royal Horticultural Society's exhibition (of which due notice as 

 to the day will be given), I shall (as both so much desire to meet 

 my stove and its productions in competition) place against them 

 my excellent old commodore, either for the best collection of 

 fruits, or for the best pine, the best grapes, the best melons, the 

 best bananas, the best guavas, or any thing else they choose. 

 So let there be no drifting out of the way, no nonsense; a fair 

 field is all I ask, and no favour. I conclude on the subject of 

 my'stove by the following facts, and it may be as well to do so 

 in the easy manner of question and answer. Well then, Mr. 

 Catius and Mr. Hutchinson, by whom, and from where was it, 

 in the spring of 1841, that, at the Royal Horticultural Society "s 

 exhibition, the prize was obtained for the finest early cucumbers ? 

 By whom, and from where was it, in September last, that at 

 the Royal Horticultural Society's exhibition, the prize was ob- 

 tained for the best pine-apple ? By whom, and where, was 

 it, that, at the same interesting competition, the collections 

 of fruits were grown that drew forth the following well-merited 

 encomium (vide Satinders's Newsletter of September 18. 1841)? 

 Under the head of the Hamilton prize for the best collection of 

 fruits I find the following, viz. : " First prize to Mr. Cormick, 

 gardener to the Earl of Charlemont ; and a second prize was 

 recommended by the judge to a very superior collection, sent 

 in by Mr. Brandon, gardener to the chief secretary, which, 

 not being in strict conformity with the conditions of the compe- 

 tition (on account of the size of his basket), they felt themselves 

 compelled to disqualify, a decision which, from the intrinsic ex- 

 cellence of the specimens it contained, they made with regret." 

 Again, by whom, and where was it, that the articles were grown, 

 concerning which, at the Royal Horticultural Society's late winter 

 exhibition, the following notice was published (vide Saunders's 

 Newsletter for January 1. 1842)? "There were but few com- 

 petitors in the vegetable classes. These included a brace of cu- 

 cumbers. 23^ in. in length from the garden of the chief secretary, 



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