September 28 , 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 301 
constant and reliable bearer, and one of our best late Apples for 
dessert. 
There are many other well-known Apples which hare this 
season carried good crops at Girtford, such as Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, Lord Suffield, Keswick Codlin, Ecklinville Seedling, 
Golden Noble, Warner’s King, Bedfordshire Foundling, Haw- 
tkornden, King of the Pippins, Early Strawberry, Franklin’s 
Golden Pippin, and Cockle’s and Stunner Pippins. The chief 
failure is in Wellington or Dumelow’s Seedling, which has only 
a quarter of a crop, and fewer still in the past three years, owing 
perhaps to the effects of the severe winters of 1879 and 1880, 
which played sad havoc amongst the trees of this variety. On the 
other hand, for the first time in thirty years I have a fair sprinkling 
of fruit of Blenheim Pippin both on young trees and standards. 
Amongst the recent varieties tried here, Repa, a very early 
fiattish round variety with pale skin, a medium-sized American 
Apple, appears well worth growing. Red Bertigheimer, a noble¬ 
looking fruit of a beautiful waxy pale crimson exterior, and with 
tender crisp flesh, appears to be a valuable introduction, also 
from America. Tetoffsky, of the Lord Suffield type, but earlier ; 
Primate and Williams’ Favourite are fruits of much promise, 
probably of Russian or American origin. D. T. Fish (Warner’s 
King), very large and good, but sometimes coming ugly ; Lord 
Grosvenor, a very fine but later and firmer-fleshed ; Lord Suffield, 
Grenadier, Lord Derby, and Prince Albert (Lane), Lord Burghley, 
and Peasgood’s Nonsuch (the finest fruit in the garden), are all 
desirable acquisitions. Several promising seedlings, the produc¬ 
tions of myself and others, are being tested, and I venture to 
prognosticate something good from a cross between Mr. Gladstone 
and Early Julien.—T. Laxton, Bedford. 
“THE NEW BOTANY." 
Under the above title a lecture on the best method of teach¬ 
ing the science, by W. J. Beal, Professor of Botany in the Agri¬ 
cultural College, Lansing, Michigan, U.S., has been issued in 
pamphlet form by C. H. Marot, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 
and well merits the attention of all engaged in teaching botany 
in this country, and also of those who are about to study it. 
Some excellent directions are given as to what should be the 
objects in studying natural science, and the best modes of culti¬ 
vating habits of correct observation. A few extracts will indicate 
the author’s purpose, and doubtless prove advantageous to some 
readers. Discussing the advance in botanical science, the writer 
observes— 
“ Before fully considering the new botany let us glance at the old. 
Aristotle, Pliny, and other Greeks and Romans paid some attention 
to plants. So did the Arabs of the twelfth century. Still later Grew, 
Tournefort, Ray, and many others studied plants and wrote about 
them. A little progress, and but very little, was made in classifica¬ 
tion and description. Not until the last century, about 1735, less 
than 150 years ago, did botany begin to take rank as a science. This 
was largely due to Linnaeus of Sweden, who well earned the title of 
‘Father of Botany.’ His efforts were largely devoted to describing 
and classifying plants, and were ably continued by the four Jussieus, 
Robert Brown, A. P. De Candolle, Bindley, Endlicher, and their con¬ 
temporaries. Except for medical students, botany hardly found a 
place until within the past forty years. Even in the higher educa¬ 
tional institutions, and as late as 1850, botany was usually only con¬ 
sidered a pleasant and proper pastime for young school girls. As 
generally pursued, the study consisted mainly in learning from 
a book the forms and names of roots, stems, leaves, inflorescence, and 
the several parts of flowers and fruits. The teacher was supposed to 
be a dried-up old fossil. He wore odd-looking clothes. He taught 
the class from the text-book, and preferred to pursue the study in 
winter, that the pupils might learn the names and peculiarities 
of plants before they appeared in the spring. There were many 
hard unfamiliar names. With no specimens to illustrate the lessons, 
and a dry teacher, most of the pupils acquired a thorough disgust 
for the study long before warm weather furnished materials for 
illustration. 
“ From 1770 to about 1800 Wolfe and Goethe of Germany and A. P. 
De Candolle of France developed new ideas of plant morphology. 
Schimper, Braun, Dunal, and Roeper aided in this work; but to no 
one are we more indebted for accurate information in regard to the 
difficult problems of plant structure and affinity than to Robert 
Brown of England. He was the most profound botanist of this or of 
any age. In this country Dr. Gray has long been foremost in de¬ 
veloping and popularising the subject of plant morphology, which, 
for twelve years beginning with 1850, may be said to have been the 
leading idea in botany. The year 18G2 will ever be memorable as 
the date in which appeared the classic work of Mr. Darwin on the 
fertilisation of Orchids. He caught the first glimpse of the subject 
from Sprengel; bftt to Darwin more than to anyone else are we in¬ 
debted for the light thrown on the subject of fertilisation of flowers. 
Delpino, Ogle, Hildebrand, Bennet, Hooker, Lubbock, Kerner, Fritz 
Miiller, and Herman. Muller, and a host of others in Europe and 
America, aided in rapidly making new discoveries in the same direc¬ 
tion. In connection with this, many interesting discoveries have 
been made in reference to the motions of plants in climbing, catching 
insects, &c. Carnivorous plants have been examined and experi¬ 
mented upon. New modes have been discovered by which plants 
are distributed in various parts of the globe. From 18G2 to 1875 in 
this country, what Gray calls ‘IIow Plants Behave,’ may be said to 
be the dominant feature in the science of botany.” 
Proceeding to the consideration of the modern and preferable 
methods of study, Mr. Beal states— 
“ What I have called ‘ The New Botany ’ began to appear in this 
country in 18G2. It includes a study of the subjects as set forth by 
Darwin, Sachs, and others. It also includes a new or better way 
for students to learn the botany of our forefathers. In this we 
study objects before books ; the pupil is directed and set to thinking, 
investigating, and experimenting for himself. To be constantly 
giving information in science makes intellectual tramps, and not 
trained investigators. Teaching the new botany properly ‘ is simply 
giving the thirsty a chance to drink.’ It also creates a thirst which 
the study gratifies, but never entirely satisfies. This plan, in a 
general way, has been again and again brought to the attention of 
our best teachers, some ot whom are carrying it into practice. I will 
now enter into details as briefly as possible, and try to mark out a 
plan which may assist some who are always looking for the best 
way. Specimens are essential; a greenhouse or a botanic garden 
are useful even if they are small, but almost every neighbourhood 
will furnish materials in abundance, which may be found in the 
fields, woods, and by-ways. Before the first lesson each pupil is 
furnished or told where to procure some specimen foi study. If it 
is winter, and flowers or growing plants cannot be had, give each a 
branch of a tree or shrub; this branch may be 2 feet long. The 
examination of these is made during the usual time for preparing 
lessons, and not while the class is before the teacher. For the first 
recitation each is to tell what he has discovered. The specimens are 
not in sight during the recitation. In learning the lesson books are 
not used, for if they are used no books will contain a quarter of what 
the pupil may see for himself. If there is time each member of the 
class is allowed a chance to mention anything not named by any of 
the rest. The teacher may suggest a few other points for study. 
The pupils are not told what they can see for themselves. An effort 
is made to keep them working after something which they have not 
yet discovered. If two members disagree on any point, on the next 
day, after further study, they are requested to bring in all the proofs 
they can to sustain their different conclusions. For a second lesson 
the students review the first lesson—report on a branch of a tree of 
another species which they have studied as before. Now they notice 
any point of difference or of similarity. In like manner new branches 
are studied and new comparisons made. For this purpose naked 
branches of our species of Elms, Maples, Ashes, Oaks, Basswood, 
Beech, Poplars, Willows, Walnut, Butternut, Hawthorns, Cherries, 
and in fact any of our native or exotic trees and shrubs, are suitable. 
A comparison of the branches of any of the evergreens is interesting 
and profitable. Discoveries, very unexpected, are almost sure to 
reward a patient study of these objects. The teacher must not think 
time is wasted. No real progress can be made till the pupils begin 
to learn to see, and to learn to see they must keep trying to form the 
habit from the very first, and to form the habit they should make 
the study of specimens the main feature in the course of training. 
In nearly all important cases specimens are examined, and a need is 
felt for a name or definition before these are given. The use of tech¬ 
nical names is not avoided, nor are these ‘ thrust upon a student.’ 
They are learned as they are needed—a few at a time from the 
teacher or a text-book. Common terms for science are usually too 
indefinite in meaning to answer a good purpose. The difficulty of 
learning technical names is often much overestimated. The disci¬ 
pline required to learn them is itself worth all it costs to anyone.” 
In succeeding chapters directions are given for observing the 
phenomena connected with the fertilisation of flowers, the visits 
of insects, carnivorous plants, the motions of plants, seed-distri¬ 
bution, &c., similar principles being inculcated in all. 
WORKJ0i\the\x/EEK,- ' 
f&m 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Ripening fruit will need attending to carefully, examining Peaches, 
Nectarines, Figs, and Plums daily, removing any as soon as ripe, the 
Peach and Nectarine with the finer dessert Plums being improved in 
flavour by placing them for a few days in a well-ventilated fruit 
