Retrospective Criticism » 393 



containing a compact group of well-shaped mushrooms, measuring 3 ft. in cir- 

 cumference. This remarkable production was exhibited at a meeting of the 

 Horticultural Society, held on that day, and, as the minutes bear, was much 

 admired, and excited great interest. [See p. 59.] 



In April, 1838, he suffered an attack of jaundice ,"]and, after being bedridden 

 for about six weeks, he expired on the 23d of May. He was then in the 80th 

 year of his age, in the 54th of his service at Pinkie, and had been 64 years a 

 practical gardener. The octogenarian was, therefore, it is believed, in the lan- 

 guage of gardeners, the "father of the profession." A few days before 

 his death, he gave some pointed directions about his funeral ; particularly 

 desiring that his coffin should be formed of timber of the growth of Pinkie, and 

 of a favourite lime tree, that had stood behind the garden walls, and had been 

 cut down on account of its too great proximity to the fruit-tree border. The 

 funeral took place on the 29th of May. From Mr. Stuart's house, the pro- 

 cession took a circuit through the garden to the main gate, on the road leading 

 to Newersh churchyard. This was done at the desire of the noble-minded 

 proprietor, who thus delicately evinced his regard for the deceased, by causing 

 his honoured remains, when on the way to their last abode, to pass through the 

 garden which had so long been the peculiar object of his care. The chief 

 mourner was, of course, the son of the deceased, Mr. John Stuart, land- 

 steward to the Earl of Galloway ; and several other relatives attended : but 

 Sir John Hope, and his sons. Major Hope and Mr. Hugh Hope, bore palls ; 

 thus testifying their respect to the last. The attendance at the funeral was 

 very numerous ; more than 130 of the principal inhabitants of Musselburgh 

 and its neighbourhood, and various friends from considerable distances, beiuT 

 present. 



Art. IV. Retrospective Criticism. 



The Botanical Alagazine. — At p. 334. of the Gardener'' s Magazine for July, 

 in speaking of the Botanical Magazine, you have committed an error (inad- 

 vertently, no doubt), the correction of which will afford an opportunity of 

 exposing what I cannot but consider as a fraud upon the public ; on that part, 

 at least, of the public which patronises the work in question. You announce 

 Curtis's Botanical Magazine to be published " in monthly numbers, each con- 

 taining eight plates, 3^. Qd, coloured," &c. True it is, the monthly numbers 

 used to contain eight plates, or six and one folded one, at the above price; but, 

 for some time past (I am not, at this moment, exactly prepared to say how 

 long), the number of plates has been reduced by one, each number now con- 

 taining only seven plates, or five and one folded one. No notice, explanation, 

 or apology, (so far as I am aware,) has been offered on the part of the pub- 

 lishers for this defalcation ; but the quantity, as already stated, has been 

 tacitly reduced, while the cost remains the same ; and thus the purchasers of 

 the work get less for their money every year, by twelve plates and their de- 

 scriptions, than was guaranteed to them. Practices like this, Mr. Editor, have, 

 I assure you, quite sickened me of taking in periodical works, unless they be 

 such as are of a very limited extent. Who the parties are, in the present in- 

 stance, who pocket this small additional profit at the expense of the purchasers, 

 it is impossible for me to say ; but I feel bound to state my entire conviction 

 that Sir W. J. Hooker, whose honourable name stands in the titlepage of 

 the Botanical Magazine, as the author of the descriptive portion of the work, 

 has no share in the transaction. On referring back, I see you have committed 

 the same mistake in several previous Numbers of the Gardener'' s Magazine, 

 though it is not till lately that the misstatement has caught my eye. You will 

 oblige me by giving a place to these remarks in an early Number of your 

 Journal ; and, if they do not lead to a discontinuance of the practice com- 

 plained of, I hope they will, at least, elicit a reply or explanation from the 

 proper quarter. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory, July 19. 1838. 



