158 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



tlic arcn and thus each volume hecomcs a pretty complete 

 accoiuit iii all the varieties of the fruit discussed. In the 

 riunis for instance, there aie mere tlian ()00 pag[es of text 

 and nearly a hundred handsome plates, the latter luuisually 

 line e.\ami)les o\ color printins;'. In the text each species 

 is carefully descrihed, its synononiy gi\en. its orii^in traced, 

 and a ci>nsitlerahle amount of adtlitional matter of interest 

 to (he lioiiicnlturist added. It is dilTicult for those not actively 

 inliM-fsii.Hl in truil ^rowinq; to reali/.e the threat variety of 

 forms that have heen develo[)ed. As rej.(ards the peach the 

 authoi" mentions smooth-skinned and puhescent sorts, dinj;- 

 stones and free-stones, vellow-tleshed. red-fleshed and white- 

 fleshed \arieties. and rtnmd. flat, nippled. cleft and heaked 

 fruits. Added to these are white, pink and red-flowered 

 forms, douhle and semi-douhle sorts, trees with two colors 

 of flowers, pvramidal ami weepinj^ trees, and trees with red 

 or hrownish foliage. One (d" the curious forms illustrated 

 is the peento peacli from China with Hal fruits only an inch 

 long and twice as wide. In the \««hune on the cherries the 

 author reverses the oKl idea that the generic name for these 

 fruits {Ccrasiis) is derived from a t(nvn in Asia Minor of 

 similar nanu-. lie states that Ccrasiis is a very ancient name 

 for tlie cherr\- and that the town was named for the truil. (~)ur 

 peaches seem to have heen derived either from ;i single species 

 or a grouj) of closcK- related forms, the cherries m;i\- have 

 four species in tlieir ancestr\- hut nearly a dozen si)ecies have 

 given us our plmns. The compilation and .arrangement of the 

 inuneusc amount of matter included in the text reflects great 

 crethl upon the author, and the entire undertaking is especial- 

 1\- pleasing to this magazine which originated in New \ ork 

 Slate and which is still interested in its progress. 



