60 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[February, 



great pleasure to find his descendents piiding 

 themselves on preservinsj; the various memen- 

 toes of this distinguished horticulturist and man 

 of science, as well as taking an intelligent in- 

 terest in them for their own sake. 



How brief must a letter like this be ! All one 

 can do at best is to hint that much may be seen 

 if he but keeps his eyes open, and perhaps to 

 tell that if people would only go to Cleveland, 

 they could find many things worth seeing that 

 I have not room to tell about. 



Our Twenty-second Year — Tpianks to 

 OUR Contributors. — Entering on the twenty- 

 second year of our labors with the Gardener's 

 Monthly, we cannot forbear our thanks to our 

 numerous contributors, by whose generous aid, 

 we have been able to make American Horticul- 

 ture respected by means of our pages, all over 

 the world. The editor often thinks if he were 

 at the head of some serial where the publishers 

 ■charged four or five dollars a year, instead of 

 two, and could then divert some of it to a fund 

 for the employment of those busy pens which 

 •cannot afford time to send notes of their experi- 

 ence under any other plan, he might perhaps be 

 surrounded by " a galaxy of able names" that 

 would give much brilliancy to his work. But 

 when he thinks of the great number whom a two- 

 dollar magazine reaches, that could not afford a 

 more expensive one, he feels satisfied to go on 

 in the humble field of usefulness, as he has done, 

 and leave the more brilliaut situation to others. 

 After all, the numerous brief notes from actual 

 workers and thinkers are no less useful than the 

 studied and labored efforts of distinguished pens. 

 The immense numbers of these received by the 

 Editor, have in a great measure made the maga- 

 zine what it is,— and in the hope that they will 

 be continued as heretofore, he enters cheerfully 

 on the second twenty years of his labors. 



Typographical and Grammatical Slips. 

 Some of the correspondents of the Gardener's 

 Monthly keep a sharp look out for the little 

 slips which in hurried periodical writing, are al- 

 most unavoidable. But we often wonder why 

 the same acuteness is not displayed towards 

 other journals. The errors in other quarters, es- 

 pecially in European papers are^marvellous, — 

 but it is extremely rare that any corrections are 

 offered. We are always glad to correct, and are 

 thankful for the corrections ; but think our 

 friends might do a little of it elsewhere. For 

 instance, some one might ask a respected con- 



temporary which has recently given a portrait 

 and biography of Colonel Wilder, and reports 

 that the good Colonel has " re-married twice," 

 whether it means that he has had three wives ? 



Illustrated Catalogues. — These are now 

 so common and so beautiful as to be generally 

 beyond criticism, — but once in a while we notice 

 some surprising ones. Here is one of the very 

 highest firms before us, in which something like 

 a huge tobacco plant does duty for *•' mustard," 

 and a sort of young kidney-bean is the " cress." 

 The "corn salad" may be all right, though it 

 could be used on a pinch for an over-grown mul- 

 lein. The " endive" if inverted can be used 

 some time as a swallow's nest! 



Boyle's Nurseries, Philadelphia. — For 

 a long, long while, Boyle's greenhouses have 

 had a good local fame in Philadelphia, though 

 not known much beyond. They now pass into 

 the hands of Mr. John Donn, one of the many 

 enterprising men whom Mr. Henderson trains 

 up, and we are sure the new addition to the flor- 

 ists of Philadelphia will be welcomed by them, 

 and prove to the city's interest in every way. 



Health of Colonel Wilder. — It is grati- 

 fying to note that for the first time since his ac- 

 cident, Col, Wilder presided at a public meeting 

 — the annual meeting of the New England His- 

 torical Society, — on the 7th of January. His 

 eloquent annual address was fully equal to any 

 of his former efforts. 



Mr. Peter B. Mead. — This gentleman, for- 

 merly Editor of the Horticulturist, is on the pro- 

 gramme of the New Jersey Horticultural Society 

 which was to have its meeting on January 15th. 

 The subject Mr. Mead discussed was " The cul- 

 ture of plants in our living rooms." 



Charles Downing. — Mr. Hussman in the 

 Rural World, gives a pleasant sketch of a visit 

 to Mr. Downing, whom he describes as compa- 

 ratively hale and hearty, though so far advanced 

 in years. 



Col. M. p. Wilder. — The number just is- 

 sued of the Biographical Encyclopaedia of Mas- 

 sachusetts, contains a beautiful portrait, and an 

 appreciative sketch of the life and services of 

 our distinguished friend. 



The American Entomologist. — This ma- 

 gazine suspended nine years, has been revived, 

 with Prof. C. V. Riley as editor-in-chief, and Mr. 

 A. S. Fuller as associate editor. It will in fu- 

 ture be published in New York, at S2.00 a year. 



