40 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
varying through difference in its place of growth, whence the cireum- 
stance I have related? or will different situations produce the same 
result ? We gardeners, who are in the habit of raising seedlings of 
florists’ flowers, generally understand a variety to be a form pro- 
duced from seed, and capable of reproducing seed, differing in some 
respects from its parent, in contradistinction to a mule or hybrid, 
which is not capable of reproducing seed. If this be the true 
definition of a variety, can these so-called varieties of Rubi be con- 
sidered as truly such? The various varieti f the apple, the 
gooseberry, and other fruit-trees still retain their several charac- 
teristics, although grown in the same soil and situations together, 
why should not true varieties of Rubi?” 
n the reminiscences already referred to, Meehan gives a graphic 
and interesting account of his two year Kew, where he fully 
availed himself of the opportunities at his disposal and laid the 
foundation of his subsequent career. He did not get on well with 
Sir William Hooker, although on mature reflection he considered 
that the Director was mostly in the right. On one occasion he was 
sent, as a punishment, to walk in the Cactus House, which no one 
cared for; and here he acquired a knowledge of Cacti which he 
afterwards turned to good account. He says:—‘‘ When I flowered 
for the first time under cultivation in America Cereus tuberosus, it 
led to my acquaintance with my life-long friend, Dr. George Engel- 
mann; and I h 1 
to whom he refers as ‘ my ideal.’ 
_ After occupying two other situations in England, Meehan deter- 
mined in 1848 to go to America on the invitation of Robert Buist, 
a florist in Philadelphia, with whom he remained for a year. 
1853 he established the nursery at Germantown, which he continued 
to supervise until his death, and which presented many of the 
aspects of a botanic ; i 
position, both in scientific, educational, and political matters ; and 
was a member of numerous learned societies. Of the variety and 
; he observation and attention to 
detail which marked his earlier contributi 
) , eehan’s observations. 
Systematic botany did not greatly attract him; although his paper 
