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NEW BOOKS. 



Country "Walks of a Naturalist with his Children-. By the Rev. W. 

 Houghton. (Groombridge and Sons.) — This is just the book to place in the hands 

 of a boy or a girl fond of the country and natural history. It is beautifully got up, 

 and illustrated sumptuously with coloured plates and woodcuts of the most striking 

 objects dealt with. In a series of ten chapters, or "Walks" as they are termed in 

 the book, Mr. Houghton discourses in a charming manner on Fishes, Birds, Insects, 

 Flowers, Fungi, and other interesting objects to be met with during a country ramble 

 at different seasons of the year. It is impossible to read the book without obtaining 

 a vast mass of useful information, and it is equally impossible to commence its 

 perusal without an anxious desire to dip deeper into its contents. Although the 

 several subjects are dealt with in a way w T hich will enable any boy of average 

 ability to understand them, there is much to interest the adult reader, and by 

 readers of all classes it is a book that can be profitably read either by the fireside or 

 in the open air. We can heartily recommend it to the notice of all classes, and in 

 doing so we feel assured that it is simply impossible to over-estimate the importance 

 of giving the young access to books of this character, in preference to the " namby- 

 pamby" style of literature usually provided for their entertainment. 



Gardening for the Cottage. By S. Wood. (W. Ridgway.) — A capital 

 little work for distribution amongst the labouring classes. The cultural details are 

 written in a plain manner, thus enabling the uneducated to comprehend their pur- 

 port without any difficulty. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Books. — John Halliday, Duncrieff Gardens. — Any bookseller will procure 

 " PaNton's Botanical Dictionary," the price of which is about 2os. " Bentham's 

 Handbook of British Plants," and " Moore's Handbook of British Ferns," will be 

 the most suitable works for your purpose. 



Hink's Petroleum Stoves for Small Houses. — Subscriber, Taunton. — 

 These stoves are admirable for the above-mentioned purpose ; and, so far as our expe- 

 rience goes with them, there is no danger of an explosion with ordinary care. The 

 large size will be the most serviceable, especially in severe weather. 



Guano for Garden Plots. — Novice. — The usual allowance on farm lands is 



3 cwt. of guano per acre. As much as 5 cwt. per acre may be used in gardens, 

 and there can be no better reviver of a worn-out grass plot. As you say you 

 know nothing of land measure, you will understand the case by the aid of a 

 few figures. Five hundredweight (120 lb.) give us 600 lb. in all. As there are 

 160 rods to the acre, 41b. per rod require 6401b. ; say, therefore, from 31b. to 



4 lb. of guano per rod. A rod contains 272 square feet of land. 



Protecting Cannas and Erythlnas. — R. G. S., Bedfordshire.— The latter 

 may either be allowed to remain in the open ground, or be taken up and potted and 

 placed in an outhouse. They grow and flower more vigorously when not taken up, 

 and a moderate thickness of dry litter will form an efficient means of protection. 

 The greatest risk in leaving them out all the winter is from the mice, which are 

 fond of nibbling the buds near the ground, which unfortunately are those required 

 for supplying the flowering wood the following season. The canna roots can remain 

 in their present quarters all the winter if the soil is well drained, otherwise it will 

 be safest to lift them, and store in a cellar. The dark-leaved kinds, and the new 

 French hybrids are rather tender in constitution, therefore it will not be desirable to 

 leave the roots in the beds for fear of an accident. 



Barbe de Capucin. — S. S. S. — This is simply the chicory of the English 

 gardens. The roots are stacked close together in a mushroom-house or warm cellar, 

 where they furnish a continuous supply of blanched leaves for the salad-bowl. 

 Grow the roots in just the same way as parsnips are managed. Of course the 

 crowns of the roots must be placed upwards. 



