r.2 



Tin-: (.iARDEXEirs Moxrm.y 



[ I-'thntan . 



Tkk1'> Kou I'rBKU 'NVoitK. — Profi'ssor ('. S. 

 S:iiii«'nt . as we 8p»' by the Boston iiapcrs. is 

 tloiiiir Horticulture fjocKl service l)y showinj: IJos- i 

 loiiiatis how iiuich they have to pay for the hick 

 ut' wisdom. Instead of <;oins; (Hrcctly to the 

 nurseries, and tindini; for themselves where tlu-y 

 can ;;et thinj^s tin- cheapest and the l)est, it 

 appears the Boston (Mty Fathers, like their 

 brethren elsewhere, are attracted by pretty pic- 

 ture books, and smooth tongues, which come 

 before them, and kindly "save them all trouble" 

 —for three prices on original cost ! In addition 

 to this evil, it is only the commonest kind of 

 trees that are bought in this way, as it is only 

 the overstocks doomed by the regular imrsery 

 trade to the bon-fire that get " pushed otf " by 

 this pei*sonal urgency or agency, and thus few of 

 inu- rare or beautiful trees get a place in the 

 public works. In this category of silly public 

 otticers, we must, however, exclude the Central 

 and Prospect Parks of New York, when under 

 the control of F. L. Olmstead; the Buffalo 

 Parks, the lioard of Public Works at "Washing- 

 ton, and possibly a few others which employed 

 purchasing agents of. the highest honor and tree 

 knowledge who were above receiving "commis- 

 sions," or any other bribes for sales, and the 

 result is, these places have trees which for rare 

 value, and in the lowness of their cost* compare 

 favorably with the trees of any public gardens 

 ill the land. Robert R. Porter, in a recent paper 

 on "Public Debts," says that the "trees in 

 most of our public parks have 'steal' written 

 all over them." We are willing to believe that 

 it is as often ignorance or indifference as "steal;" 

 but in any event they are most disgraceful, and 

 we again thank Prof. Sargent for his good offices 

 in trying to induce a better state of things. 



SYLvicrxTURE. — By Hon EliK. Price. This 

 essay on forest culture is a paper read before the 

 American Philosophical Society, and by them 

 published in the Transactions. Mr. Price has 

 passed his three score and ten, but is still hale and 

 hearty, and has spent his many years in great 

 activity for the public good. As one of the 

 Boai'd of Commissioners of Fairmount Park, 

 its tree-planting interests have mainly been un- 

 der his control, and in every way possible he has 

 thrown the weight of his great influence into the 

 cause of tree culture. The great botanist 

 Michaux left a sum of money to Philadelphians 

 for tree-planting, and Mr. Price shows m this 

 essay how much good it has done. He is a be- 

 liever in the theorv that trees and the rainfall are 



iiitiinately connected, and enters into the hisl(»ri- 

 cal (juestions connected with th;il view. This, in- 

 deed is the key-note of the essay. He shows what 

 has been done in some quartt-rs for tree-planting, 

 and points out the <:ood that will follow from a 

 more extentled pi act ice. 



The Sciknc k OnsKUVEH. Boston, a monthly 

 published by the Amateur Scientific Society, at 

 .')0 cents per annum. Astronomical matters 

 receive particular attention. 

 The Am KKUANXATruALisT has been removed 

 from Boston to Philadelphia, having Ijet'ii pur- 

 chased by some Philadelphia scientists. It is 

 now under the Joint editorship of Messrs. Packard, 

 of Salem, Mass., and Cope, of Philadelphia. The 

 January number shows that the scientific value 

 of the magazine has not suffered by the change., 

 while the publishers' department is as perfect 

 as need be. McCalla & Stavely are the new 

 publishers. 



The Game of ]3(jtan'y. — By C. W. See lye,. 

 Rochester, N. Y. This is a game of playing 

 cards, in which botanical characters are used, 

 and it serves alike to while away a pleasant 

 evening in amusement, and conveys instruction 

 at the same time We thought the best test 

 would be to submit the cards to a nest of chil- 

 dren, and as in a few minutes they were very 

 much absorbed in it,* we feel bound to say the 

 idea is a great success. 



Acknowledgements. — John R. Anderson, 

 /jf New York, is issuing handsome little books., 

 giving the " Little Folks" described in Dickens* 

 works. "Little Paul," of Dombey & Son, is 

 now' on our table. 



The Illustrated Annual of Rukal. 

 Affairs, by J. J. Thomas, published by 

 the Country Gentleman. This is the twenty- 

 fourth year of the appearance of this very useful 

 serial. 



The American Bookseller is a list of 

 books — almost everything in the book trade — 

 that may be had of the American News Co.. 

 New York. It gives copies of some of the illus- 

 trations contained in the leading works, and 

 which make this catalogue itself a beautiful 

 book. It is sold at a nominal price — 30 cents. 



Yick's Illustrated Monthly Magazine.. 

 — This, which has long been published quarterly 

 as Vick's Floral Guide., is to be henceforth issued 

 monthly under the above title. The first number 

 is now before us, and we need scarcely say to those 

 who were familiar with it in its old form, that it 

 is a very useful publication. Mr. Yick is full of 



