60 THE FLORIST. 



tion needed to those who may not be experienced enough to judge for 

 themselves in making their selections. The increased matter and in- 

 formation which these yearly afford, indicate pretty clearly that the 

 facilities for purchasmg what is wanted, brought so conveniently under 

 the notice of the public by such means, is not thrown away, and in a 

 commercial point of view is attended with success. 



The readers of the Florist have only to look over the admirable and 

 beautifully got up catalogues published by Messrs. Peter Lawson and 

 Sons, of Edinburgh (which are worthy of a place in the library of every 

 country gentleman and gardener in the kingdom, as works of refer- 

 ence) — to those of the Messrs. E. G. Hendersons, Wellington -road — 

 Messrs. A. Henderson and Co., Pine Apple-place, Messrs. Veitch, 

 Exeter and Chelsea — T. Rivers and Son, Sawbridgeworth — Waterer 

 and Godfrey, Knap-hill — J. Waterer, and Standish and Noble, Bag- 

 shot — Lane and Son, Berkhamstead — Paul and Son, Cheshunt — 

 Turner, Slough — Sutton and Sons, Reading — and many others too 

 numerous to particularise, when they "will be convinced of the trouble, 

 care, and expense involved in getting them up, most of them present- 

 ing lists of all the popular plants, &c., of the day, and giving complete 

 descriptions of each article they offer for sale. 



We must, however, leave this generalising, and resume our notice 

 of the one which heads our article ; reminding our readers that this is 

 a Seed Catalogue merely. The list of vegetable seeds comprises a long 

 array of names, which, speaking for ourselves, we should like to see 

 much shortened. But then the public at large prefer it to be other- 

 wise, and therefore the blame (if any there be) rests more with our 

 over-fastidious public than with the seedsmen, who have in this, as in 

 other matters, to cater for their customers in place of pleasing them- 

 selves. The lists are carefully arranged as to time of sowing, &c., and 

 we do not remember before seeing such full descriptions and directions 

 for culture as are appended to each. We may likewise add that the 

 " Collections " made up for various sized gardens, afford parties igno- 

 rant of the best kinds of vegetables a valuable chance for stocking their 

 gardens in the best manner at a moderate cost. The list of flower 

 seeds, with the accompanying hints on sowing and culture, will be 

 valuable to many. There are, besides, original articles by ]\Ir. Erring- 

 ton and a calendar of operations, altogether conveying information 

 which cannot fail of being useful to the amateur as well as the practical 

 gardener. The only thing in it we condemn is the Calendar, which 

 should contain the exhibition days of the London and country horti- 

 cultural societies, and much other matter relative to garden affairs, now 

 entirely omitted, and which we hope to see inserted in future editions. 



Edwards's Garden Almanack for 1855. 



This Annual is of quite as much service to the man ofi business as to the 

 florist, as a work of reference, as there are forty pages devoted to the 

 information peculiar to almanacks, and on a more extended scale than 

 is adopted by many. The National Floricultural Society (of which 

 ]\Ir. Edwards is the Hon. Secretary) is now unquestionably the only 

 practical tribunal for seedling flowers, because the Society's judges are 



