1884.] EE VIEWS OF BOOKS. 149 



fermentation of an oily acid, which is insoluble in water, but which 

 penetrates deep into the fibres of the wood. The reaction of the 

 acid on the soap does not, however, take place until a part of the 

 moisture is evaporated. This new method is said to produce com- 

 plete impregnation equal to that by means of creosote. It has the 

 further advantage that there is no danger of any of the preservative 

 being washed out of the exposed surface, as often occurs in other 

 methods. The Government Commission on technical railway ar- 

 rangements in France has reported in favour of this process (2>e?' 

 Tcchnikcr, 1882, p. 194). 



British A^Jidcs. Report of the Committee of the National Apple 

 Congress, held in the Royal Horticultural Gardens, Chisxvich, 

 October 5th to 25th, 1883. Compiled and prepared by Mr. 

 A. F. Barrox, Superintendent of the Eoyal Horticultural 

 Society's Gardens, etc. London : Macmillan & Co. 1884. 



This neat octavo of 250 pages will mark an era in the history of 

 British apple-growing, and will be one of the reference books on the 

 subject in the future. In the midst of exhibitions some of whose 

 results appear to indicate what future executives ought not to do, it 

 is pleasing to see such permanent results sujiervening from a public 

 fruit display — the greatest, most important, and most wonderful 

 exhibition of apples ever seen, with neither competition nor prizes. 



Mr. Barron adds a descriptive catalogue of apples exhibited, whose 

 synonyms amount to 2020, and the presumably distinct varieties 

 to 1545 ; but these are capable of being grouped in twenty-four 

 primary classes. 



Scotland was well represented at the Congress, there being no 

 fewer than 24 exhibitors and 859 dishes alone, in its southern 

 division ; and it is noted that Mr. M. Dunn, of the Palace Gardens, 

 Dalkeith, showed no fewer than 220 varieties. 



We hope to return to this most instructive apple manual. 



In Meehan's Gardener's Monthly for November (Philadelphia: C. H. 

 Marot), besides many useful practical hints, and its plethora of inter- 

 esting paragraphs, there are two full-page woodcuts of Epipremnum 

 mirabile Tonga, as well as of Anthurium Eothschildianum and 

 Anthurium Ferrierense ; in Aloorc's Florist and Pomologist (London : 

 Kent & Co.), the two coloured plates, the Bijou Lemon and Apple 

 Calville Eouge Precoce, are so true to nature as to tickle not only 

 the eye, but the palate. The Revue des Faux et Forcts for 

 November (Paris, Eue Fontaine-au-Eoi, 13) devotes a considerable 



