JUNE. 171 



same manufacturers also make a large vase for specimen Geraniums at 

 6s. per dozen. This latter might be much improved, if the maker 

 would be content with a simple flowing outline, and not, as such men 

 perversely do, attempt an elaborate series of curves, that result in a 

 much less beautiful object. 



P. 152. Perennials. I, for one, should be glad to see your corre- 

 spondent's list, believing that this beautiful class of flowers has been 

 too much neglected, to make way for their more showy rivals, the 

 bedding plants. One reason for this is doubtless the brilliant display 

 of colour produced, but I suspect that the real reason is, that to produce 

 a general effect by herbaceous plants requires much more thought and 

 care. 



P. 197- The very useful caution about the non-ventilation of span- 

 roofed houses is scarcely intelligible without a sketch. 



Thomas Wilson. 



Crimbles House, Leeds, May 23. 



[Many thanks for your useful hint, to which every encouragement 

 shall be afforded. — Ed.] 



EEVIEW. 



The Gardener s Assistant. By Robert Thompson. Blackie & Son. 



Royal 8vo. In twelve parts. 

 This is a work which we can heartily recommend. Its object is to 

 convey to its readers a knowledge of the fundamental principles of 

 horticulture in a simple and practical manner, and to furnish details of 

 the most approved modes of managing the kitchen and fruit gardens and 

 forcing houses, as well as the more important of the plants cultivated in 

 the flower garden and pleasure grounds, greenhouse and stove — in 

 short, to be what its title implies, emphatically, a " Gardener's Assistant " 

 in every sense of the word. For the proper carrying out of such a work, 

 few men could be found better qualified than Mr. Thompson. His 

 world-wide reputation as a skilful pomologist, his equally well-known 

 scientific attainments, and his long connection with the Horticultural 

 Society of London, in whose grounds at Chiswick all kinds of experimental 

 gardening have been carefully conducted under his superintendence for 

 years ; these all eminently fit him for the task he has undertaken, and 

 with some reason led us to expect in his " Gardener's Assistant " some- 

 thing more than ordinary routine information. In this, we have not 

 been disappointed. The work before us has already reached its tenth 

 part, and is replete with most valuable instruction, not only as regards 

 improved modes of culture, but also as respects the origin, growth, and 

 nutrition of plants, the nature and properties of soils and manures, 

 formation of gardens, erection and heating of hothouses, levelling and 

 management of groundwork, garden implements, together with select 

 lists of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, and a full and extremely useful 

 monthly calendar of operations. A work of so great utility, therefore, 

 the price of which is not beyond the means of every cultivator of a 

 garden, cannot, we should think, fail to meet with that encourage- 



