List of Seeds i?i the Berlm Botanic Garden. 183 



This appears to be one of the most systematic and complete 

 treatises on striking plants by cuttings ever published. It is 

 the joint production of the most scientific gardeners in the 

 Royal Botanic Garden of Berlin, and of Mr. Brackenridge ; of 

 whom it is sufficient to say, that he was a pupil of Mr. M'Nab 

 of Edinburgh, and was several years head gardener to Dr. 

 Neill. He is now, after having been some years in the Berlin 

 Botanic Garden, settled in Philadelphia. (See his account of 

 the Berlin Botanic Garden in our Twelfth Volume, p. 295.) It 

 is our intention to translate this treatise, and illustrate it by 

 figures, so as to render it perfectly intelligible to the uninitiated; 

 that is, those who do no not know the technical meaning of 

 the word cutting, much less how to treat one. 



Index Seminum in Horto-Botanico Berolinensi 1837 collectorum. 

 List of Seeds collected in the Berlin Botanic Garden in 

 1837. 



This list contains six 4to pages, printed on extra thin post 

 paper, so as to be sent by post. On the Continent, such a letter 

 will be charged according to weight, and in Britain as a single 

 sheet. The number of species and varieties enumerated ex- 

 ceeds 960 : the greater part are hardy herbaceous plants ; but 

 a considerable number of hardy ligneous plants, green-house 

 plants, and many exotic ferns, are included. The list is ex- 

 tremely interesting, as showing what plants will ripen seeds in 

 the open air in the climate of Berlin ; and it is gratifying and 

 surprising to see the number of both hardy and house plants in- 

 cluded in it : for example, Astragalus 10 sp., Calandrinia 6 sp., 

 Calendula 7 sp., Callistemon 8 sp., Canna 18 sp., iupinus 

 16 sp., Medicago 20 sp., Cratae'gus 7 sp., Cotoneaster 6 sp., 

 £rica 13 sp., 6Enothera 12 sp,, Godetm 8 sp., Pseonia 11 sp., 

 Potentilla 20 sp., Silene 17 sp., Ti'ifolium 15 sp., F^icia 17 sp. 

 and var., iSorbus 3 sp. (one is S. scandica Fries), Symphoricarpus 

 2 sp. It is customary, in Germany, for every botanic garden 

 to print such a list annually, and to send it to every other 

 botanic garden. In consequence of this, the collections 

 throughout the Continent are enriched, and comparatively 

 equalised, at an easy rate ; the result of a very different feeling 

 from that which used to prevail in Holland and England in 

 what may be called the Dutch school of botany and garden- 

 ing. The climate of Great Britain is, undoubtedly, not so 

 favourable for ripening seeds as that of Germany; but still, we 

 think it would be for the advantage of all the public establish- 

 ments, and even the principal private ones, if they were to pay 

 attention to the ripening and collecting of seeds, and print such 

 lists annually. 



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