24 THE FLORIST. 



and Ireland," noticed in our last volume, may be again mentioned, as 

 fully maintaining the high character we have already given it. 



Edwards" National Garden Almanack for 1856. 

 The volume for the new year has just reached us, and it will be strange 

 indeed if it is not found a most useful garden companion for the year. 

 " New Flowers of the Year " afford a great deal of sound and valuable 

 information respecting many seedling fiorists' flowers and other plants 

 now about to be circulated for the first time. " Carnations and Picotees " 

 will be read with interest by a great many growers of those popular 

 flowers. " Dahhas in Classes " show a better classification of colours 

 than we have before seen attempted, although one or two inaccuracies 

 appear, such as Annie Salter, which is not a self flower, but should be 

 in the second division. Descriptive lists of the new as well as the best 

 of the old varieties of Hollyhocks are given, and a pleasant gossiping 

 article on " The Pink " that will be cordially welcomed by the Pink 

 grower. We quite agree with Mr. Edwards " that the progress of the 

 Verbena during the past season has been something marvellous," and 

 we are glad to find all the best varieties classified in such a manner as 

 to assist purchasers. New Fruits and Vegetables add their quota of 

 information, although we do not agree with Mr. Edwards that " Celery 

 Turc " and " Incomparable Celery " are identical. A valuable and 

 elaborate descriptive list of new plants is also given, which, by permis- 

 sion of Mr. Edwards, appears in another part of the present number. 



With regard to the Directory, it is by far the most complete and 

 comprehensive ever yet put forth. Corrections, even so late as the very 

 recent announcement of a partnership between Messrs. Kennedy and 

 Kempton, of Covent Garden, have been made, and the accuracy of this 

 trade hst is the result of great labour and considerable expense. Even 

 the advertising columns, and there are 70 pages of them, foi-m a 

 descriptive list of almost all the new things to be offered this spring 

 for the first time. The " National Garden Almanack " is an exceed- 

 ingly cheap shilling's worth of information, and we recommend all to 

 ascertain the truth of our assertion. 



The Garden Book of Annuals. By William Thompson. Simpkin 



and Marshall. 

 The want of such a work as the present has been in some measure 

 anticipated by the copious descriptions which nearly all the leading 

 seedsmen af!ix to their seed lists of annuals. However, this neat little 

 volume is none the less acceptable on that account. It is just the thinw 

 wanted, for there are hundreds of amateurs who are completely in the 

 dark as to the description and cultivation of the charming class of plants 

 of which this work treats. In fact, it records all the information requisite 

 to enable any one to grow any class of annuals as successfully as the best 

 practical gardener, and to keep their gardens gay at a small expense. 

 To make extracts would be superfluous, for the book itself should be in 

 every one's hands who are interested in the culture of annuals. 



