30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 
October 21. 
we might readily believe, even did we not know the 
flower, that the Violet must have extraordinary charms, 
when it could thus cxcito sedateness to ho eloquent. 
We shall have occasion to dwell more fully upon the 
admitted virtues of the Violet when we come to it in 
due course among the “ British Wild Flowers,” but we 
must extract hero one note from VVillsford’s “ Secrets of 
Nature,” which says, “When Violets flourish in autumn, 
it is an evil sign of an insuing plague the year following, 
or some pestiferous disease.” If this be so, then will 
1853 be a year memorable for its pestilence, for we have 
before us, October 12th, bouquets and growing plants 
of the most highly-scented and largest Violets we have 
ever looked upon. These are Shackell’s Russian Superb 
Violets; they are treble the size, and far more fragrant 
than the common Russian Violet similarly cultivated, 
and though their leaves are also very largo, yet the 
stalks of the flowers are so long and stout, as to render 
them very conspicuous. Mr. Shackell has a largo stock 
of every description of Violets, and intends to sell them 
at such low prices as to be within the command of all 
classes. He will, before long, publicly announce his 
charges. Even Tree Violets will be sold very cheap. 
FORSYTH MSS. 
At page 185 of our 5th volume we gave a biographical 
sketch of Sir James Edward Smith, the tirst President 
of the Linnasan Society, and author of The Enijlish 
Flora, and other standard works. The following letter 
is dated Norwich, September 25th, 1802. 
SIR J. E. SinTH TO MR. FORSYTH. 
No cause less powerful than the real one should have 
kept me so long without thanking you for your kind and 
valuable present of your work, which I now most heartily 
do. When I received it, I was just beginning to be ill with 
a fever of violent erysipelas, which detained me a fortnight 
at Hendon; and then, after my journey homo, I was for 
many weeks unable to look at anything, and in great pain. 
My complaint is not yet quite gone, but T begin to use my 
eyes moderately. Your book is in great request here, as it 
deserves. Mr. Crowe has one copy for his gardener, another 
for himself, as he makes it his constant study. I have no 
doubt the genoral practice of your directions about trees 
will ho of the greatest public use and benefit. 
iMr. Crowe and T have again this year been hard at work 
upon British Willows. Our certain species are about forty. 
AVould it he interesting to you to have cuttings sent yon in 
the winter of all our species, marked with my names? I 
should he very glad of this, or any other opportunity, of 
shewing you how much I am, dear Sir, your obliged and 
faithful friend, J. E. Smith. 
It may bo as well to explain to the iion-botanical 
reader, that the genus Snlix includes the British Wil¬ 
lows, and, in all, about two-hundred-aud-twenty-two 
species, varying in locality from the Salix aretica, the 
last wmody plant that lingers in existence as we approach 
the north pole, to the Salix Ba.htjlonica, which is found 
not only “ by the waters of Bahylon,” but in China, 
Japan, and Northern Africa. These numerous species 
have been, and still are, the opprobrium of botanists. 
No one laboured more successfully to arrange them 
than did Sir J. E. Smith, and his friend Mr. Crowe, 
until since his death, M. Koch, a German botanist, has 
bestowed upon them an amount of knowledge and deeji 
investigation which has loft little to be desired. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
How deep-seated evil practices become! It is upwai’ds 
of a hundred years since an old writer cautioned the 
public of that day against the sellers of Elder berries 
and Elder juice in Covent-Garden; and it is sad that 
we should have occasion to do the same now. For a 
week or two past these commodities have been exposed 
for sale in considerable quantities. Of the former we 
need make no remarks, as it is hardly possible that any 
one could be led astray in the choice of berries, provided 
they made use of common observation; but against 
what is sold as Elder juice we would have them bo 
especially careful. This article is generally exposed in 
tubs, and mixed with a large proportion of berries and 
stalks; but oven to a casual observer, the berries show j 
no proportion to the liquor, a great part of which is, . 
in fact, water. “ Thus,” says the writer above alluded ; 
to, “wines and syrups made from Elder berries may 
prove defective, and discourage persons from making a 
second attempt, by the measure of water with the Elder 
juice, or from blightening causes, or its being expressed 
from unripe berries.” We have thought it our duty ' 
to put our readers on their guard against such jiractices, 
and would recommend them in all cases, when Elder 
wine is the idtimatum, to provide themselves with 
sound and well-ripened berries only. 
In the fruit-market the supplies have been large i 
during the past week, and the demand little short of | 
what we reported in our last. Everything maintained 
fully as good prices, and there is every probability they' i 
will continue to do so. Apples, it is generally believed, 
are a short crop throughout those parts from which 
“The Garden” supply is generally derived, and I am 
aware of some cases where salesmen have advised their 
employers to hold, as there is every probability there 
will be a considerable rise as the season advances. Tlie 
varieties which have been most plentiful during the 
week, besides those which wo have noticed in former 
reports, are Beautii of Kent —a beauty, indeed, but tin's 
season they are very much deformed, having almost 
entirely lost their conical shape, and become somewhat 
flattened and angular ; they still, however, retain their 
beauty of colouring and russety base. This must not 
be confused with the Floiver of Kent, under which 
name it is often met with in the market. Though both 
are good apples, still the former is by far the better one 
of the two. It is one of the most magnificent apples we 
know, when grown to perfection, and is one of the best 
autumn baking varieties. Emperor Alexander, of which 
we made mention last week, is in still. It is like a 
great many more things in the world, more for show 
than for use ; and I would, therefore, never recommend 
any one who has only a limited extent of ground to 
think of growing it. Pears are plentiful, and of all 
qualities, many of them being, as the costermongers call 
them, " mellow pears.” However these may have 
