350 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



I November, 



friends to mark it " paid through," otherwise the 

 company insists that it is only partlif paid, and 

 we have often had to pay the whole freight 

 charges over again. For awhile our friendu le- 

 nienibered this, but some recent very expensive 

 experiences make it necessary t(» renew the ad- 

 vice. 



The Illinois Thistle Law. — Mr. Edgar San- 

 ders says, that so far as he knows, there has not 

 been a single prosecution under the thistle law, 

 tliough thistles abound. 



Buffalo Park Commission— Sixth Annual 

 REroRT. — We learn from this that $132,420 were 

 expended on this public work last year. It is 

 part of their policy to endeavor to lind work for 

 unemployed labor at a season of the year when 

 other work is stopped, and hence $30,000 of this 

 was spent in the Winter in quarrying and break- 

 ing stone for the roads. In this way 480,000 

 square feet of carriage way was completed last 

 year. The city getting the benefit of the good 

 drives, and the laborers finding work when none 

 else was to be had. The cost of these stoned 

 roads is $15,000 per mile. The influence which 

 the park has on the general culture of the citi- 

 zens, and the welfare of all classes, is well shown 

 in this report. The park embraces 600 acres, 

 and is managed with such excellent taste, judg- 

 ment and economy, that it is a model in every 

 respect. Olmsted and Vaux are the landscape 

 gardeners and architects, and Mr. Wm. McMillan 

 the general superintendent. 



Drs. Hooker and Gray. — On the 29th of Au- 

 gust a special meeting of the California Academy 

 of Sciences was held to do honor to these distin- 

 guished botanists who have done so much for 

 the science all over the world. Prof. Davidson 

 made an admirable speech of welcome, in which 

 he spoke of the valuable work of Dr. Hooker, 

 Dr. Gray.'and Prof. Hayden, by whose kindness 

 the two botanists have been able to see so much 

 of our country. Prof. Hayden made some brief 

 remarks in'reply. Dr. Hooker — or more proper- 

 ly now Sir Joseph Hooker— returned thanks for 

 his welcome, and said that his visit had been the 

 means of adding immensely to his utock of 

 knowledge. Dr. Gray, in acknowledging the 

 kindness of his reception, took occasion to refer 

 to the work of Menzies in connection with the 

 botany of California, and the pleasure it gave 

 him to walk in his footsteps. Altogether the oc- 

 casion was one long to be remembered by the 



botanists of California. Dr. Hooker has since 

 returned to England, and with Dr. Gray will con- 

 tribute to Hayden's report. 



B. M. Watson. — A son of this well-known and 

 esteemed nurseryman, of Plymouth, Mass., is 

 said to be Professor of Horticulture in the Bussey 

 Institute of Cambridge, Mass. 



Proceedings of the Indiana Horticultural 

 Society for 1877. From W. H. Rogan, Secretary. 

 — Besides the usual full reports of progress in 

 fruit culture and other incidents of horticulture, 

 it contains a very able essay on " Forestry " by 

 Prof. J. Hussey. Pie concludes that only capital- 

 ists or governments can plant. He will not have 

 the support of every one to this view. Our idea 

 is that it is to individual interests to plant trees, 

 and that those societies will do the most good 

 which show how individuals may profitably 

 plant trees. But those who differ from Prof. 

 Hussey will at least give to his views every 

 respect, as they are ably stated. 



Transactions of the Michigan State Pomo- 

 LOGiCAL Society. From Chas. W. Garfield, Esq., 

 Secretary, Lansing, Michigan. — Among many 

 items of information, we find that in 1875 an 

 Act was passed by the Legislature of the State 

 for preventing the yellows in the peach and 

 allied fruits. Persons, who after the order tQ cut 

 infected trees away allow them to stand, are 

 liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred dol- 

 lars and costs, besides the expenses of having 

 such trees cut out by the commissioner. As 

 Jack Bunsby says, " it is in the application 

 that proof of wisdom comes." It would be very 

 interesting to know whether this law has proved 

 a sufficient terror to cause the owners of infected 

 trees to uproot them; whether any waited to be 

 forced to do it; how many fines liave been 

 collected, and whether there is as much of the 

 disease now as there was two years ago. If this 

 cure has proved effectual it may be worth while 

 carrying it to other States. If not, save burdens 

 on the statute books. 



Tenth Annual Report of the Ohio Horti- 

 cultural Society. — We do not know when we 

 have read a report so full of matters of practical 

 value as this, and congratulate the members of 

 the Society in getting the full value of their an- 

 nual subscriptions in so substantial a way. Mr. 

 Bateham recounts the trouble he had in getting 

 together the beautiful Centennial exhibit from 

 Ohio. Though the State made a handsome ap- 

 propriation to exhibit its products at the Centen- 



