C5 



NOTICES 



Tlie Journal of Botani/, British and 

 Foreign. Edited by Bi.uthold Seemabt, 

 P.H.D., F.L.S., etc. Robert Hard wick.— 

 We much regret that our limited space 

 compels us to attempt no more than tlie 

 briefest possible notice of this work. It 

 has been in existance fifteen months, and 

 is now everywhere recognized as tlie proper 

 means of intercommunication among 

 botanists of all pretensions, schools, and 

 degrees. Tlie editor is one of the most 

 experienced an 1 far-sighted botanists of 

 our time ; a sound scholar, and a traveller 

 of highest repute. With him are associated 

 the ablest and most, renowned botanists, 

 not only of England, but of Europe ; and 

 the result is that botany is fairly and fully 

 represented, and every enlightened Sn- 

 deavour for its improvement and advance- 

 ment brought to the test of fair criticism, 

 and, if needful, of earnest advocacy. 

 Among the numbers before us is a full 



OF BOOKS. 



translation of Goethe's celebrated paper on 

 the " Metamorphos s of Plants." Some 

 of the historical papers that occasionally 

 appear exhibit sound learning and a 

 refined taste. The work is published 

 monthly, at 2.?., and is illustrated with 

 coloured plates. 



The Botanists' Chronicle, published at 

 28, Upper Manor Street, Chelsea, is a 

 small monthly circular, conveying items 

 of botanical news and contributions on 

 British plants and their uses, etc. If 

 unambitious it is at least useful, and being 

 published at one penny, will be of special 

 service to the humbler class of botanists. 

 The Rose Book is the title of a new 

 illustrated work on the cultivation of the 

 Rose, by Mr. Shirley Hibbekd, F.R.H.S., 

 which will be published in the course of 

 the present month, by Messrs. Groom- 

 bridge & Sons. The price will be five or 

 I six shillings. 



TO CORRESPQ 

 Selection op Show Floweus. — J. H. — 

 If you intend to show sets of 4 and 2 

 among the subjects named, you ought to 

 grow more in order to have extra strings 

 to your bow. However, we gladly com- 

 ply with the request. 4 Fuchiitts sii/gle, 

 Bridesmiid, Earl of Devon, t r ie 

 Lord Warden, Wiltshire Lass; 4 Fuchsias 

 double, Universal, Sir Colin Campbell, 

 Madame Cornelissen, Hercules ; 4 Cal- 

 ceolarias, Ajax, Gem, Desirable, Excel- 

 sior; 4 Scarlet Geraniums, Dr. Land lev, 

 Beauty. Eleanor, Alfred; 2 of any class, 

 Mrs. Pollock, Sunset; 2 Phloxes, Alice 

 Allnin, Madame Van Houtte ; 2JPetunias, 

 Eliza Matthew, Flower of the Day; 2 

 Buses, Madame Vidot, Comtesse Cecile 

 Chabrilland. 



Forming a Fernery. — R. Q.— You could 

 not obtain a com/jlete set of British ferns 

 at any price, but the most complete set 

 possible, such as Mr. Sims could supply, 

 would cost you about £150. The varietie. 

 of Scolopendrium alone would cost over 

 £80 to have one plant of each. But B 

 for a very few pounds you could have 

 a selection of all the most useful, for 

 such as the common Lastrea, Lady- 

 fern, lilechnum, Harts - tongue, etc., 

 Th : place selected is well shaded by trees, 

 and eminently suitable for ferns. We 

 would advise you not to bury any of the 



I butts and other pieces of rustic limber 

 near tlie rojts of the adjoining trees, as 

 there is frequently engendered laige 

 quantities of the spawn of fungi by de- 



NDENTS. 



caying timber, and the roots of living 

 trees are sometimes seriously damaged 

 in consequence. Yon must ram the soil 

 firm in all the larger spaces between the 

 butts and roots, and grout it into the 

 small crevices. The commonest stuff 

 will do for this purpose. If you intend 

 to grow any very choice ferns you must 

 havepeat, butall the robust growing kinds 

 will thrive in good yellow loam. If the 

 loam is inclined to clay, mix with it a 

 third part of cocoa-nut fibre refuse, or 

 leaf-mould. Mr. Sims' " Descriptive 

 Catalogue of British Ferns" may be ob- 

 tained through the post by sending six 

 stamps to him at Foot's Cray. It is the 

 best trade list of British ferns, and of 

 much more value than some of the ex- 

 pensive books upon the subject. The 

 best book on British ferns is " Moore's 

 Handbook," published at 5*. by Messrs. 

 Groom bridge and Sons. We have given 

 so many lists of ferns that we must on 

 this occasion refer you to previous issues. 

 eds Gay in Winter. — II. B. — Reference 

 to former volumes will show you that we 

 have treated this subject at considerable 

 length. Pei haps as the winter is nearly 

 over, you may not now be anxious about 

 the matter. But we advise you to pro- 

 cure at once, and pot for use next winter, 

 a few (say a dozen each) of the following 

 shrubs — Erect-growing Chinese Arbor- 

 vita, Pinus cembra, Pinus excelsn, Pinus 

 monticola, Abies Khutrow, Laurestinus, 

 Irish Ivy, red cedar, and green holly. 



