)94 The Journal of Forestry 



containing nothing beyond teclmicul oi' cultural descriptions of plants. 

 With this object in view the author has taken as the basis of his work the 

 *' Manuel de TAmateur des Jardins," compiled by the eminent French 

 authors MM. Decaisne and Naudin, of which work good use has been 

 made by the introduction into this of the original woodcuts, and any 

 available information suited to the circumstances under which hardy plants 

 arc grown in Britain. The technical portion of the work is arranged on 

 the Natural System, as near as possible to that in use at Kew, and 

 published in Hooker and Eentham's "Genera Plantarum ;" because, 

 although much is said upon the practical cultivation of plants, it is 

 considered more necessary to give greater prominence to the descriptive 

 botany of cultivated plants, a branch of literature ^^•hich has as yet 

 received but comparatively little attention, especially on a comprehensive 

 scale, from either practical or scientific writers since the days of Loudon's 

 wonderful compilations. 



Three-fourths of the entire work is taken up with the description, 

 history, uses, &c., of hardy plants ; containing a rich store of useful and 

 interesting facts relative to the trees, shrubs, &c., grown in this country 

 either for use or ornament, many of which we had marked for quotation 

 if space allowed ; but we can only quote as an example, taken at random, 

 the description of the genus Qucrcu.s, or oaks. 



QUEECUS. 



" Evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs. Male flowers in loose slender 

 catkin; perianth 5- to 10- lobed; stamens indefinite, with slender ex- 

 serted filaments. Female flower solitary, perianth 3- to 8-lobed, ovary 3-celled, 

 atyles 3. Fruit ovoid or oblong, 1-seeded, situated in a cupule of imbricated 

 scales. There are about 250 species belonging to this genus, none of which 

 occur south of the equator. The name is of classical Latin origin. 



" Q. Bolur. Common Oak. — This is the most majestic of our indigenous 

 trees, though in height it is usually exceeded by the elm and others, very 

 rarely attaining to 90 or 100 feet. There are two extreme forms which have 

 been classed as species, but intermediate connecting varieties have been since 

 discovered. 



" Q. a. Sbsiiilijiora has petiolate leaves and nearly or quite sessile acorns. 

 Q. jfi. Pedunculata has sessile leaves and pedunculate acorUs. This species has 

 a wide range of distribution in Europe and Asia. There are several slight 

 varieties, and a few sufliciently distinct to plant in large collections, such as 

 pendula, hcteroplt^Ua, iJCdlnatat variefjata, and flcta, the latter with pink, 

 white, and green foliage. 



" Q. Ccrris. Turkey Oak.^A very handsome deciduous South European 

 spebiesj of ttiorb rapid and symmetrical growth than the native oak. The 

 leaves in the common form are usually smaller and more finely lobed and 

 sharper toothed, and the fruit is not ripened till the second year. The bracts 

 forming the cup or involucre of the long uairow acorn are long, narrow, and 

 spreading. This is the only exotic deciduous s])ecies commonly planted, and 

 of this there are many fine specimens in various parts of the country. 

 Although the leaves change to brown in autumn, they persist during a great 

 part of the winter. There are several varieties, including a silver- variegated 

 pe, and another with large, almost evergreen foliage, called Fulhamensis. 



