1876.] 



AND HOBTIGULTURIST. 



61 



seeds, for instance, we are told that white oak, 

 red oak, burr oak and others, kept better in 

 layers piled on the surface all winter, than in the 

 less economical rot heap. A nurseryman who 

 would put such seeds as these in a " rot heap " 

 would be thought crazy. A "rot heap," in 

 nursery phrase, is a spot where hard bony seeds 

 lie for a year before sowing. We opine further 

 that some of the failures or successes in some of 

 the experiments are due to deeper causes than 

 those supposed, — and we think that repeated 

 experiments, to prove some of the points, would 

 not always end the same way. Prof. Bessey has 

 an interesting chapter on smut in Indian corn, 

 and some other plants. 



Mr. David Webster. — This gentleman, well 

 known in connection with landscape gardening, 

 and a contributor to our pages, is at present on a 

 tour through California. We notice, by the Cali- 

 fornia papers, that his lectures on ornamental 

 gardening are well received there. 



Mr. John Ellis — W^ell known to horticultural 

 readers of ten years ago as " Fox Meadow," is 

 now engaged at the University of California. He 

 is planting an arboretum of all plants that will 

 stand that climate. 



Text Book of Scientific Agriculture. — By E. 

 M. Pendleton. M. D. Professor of Agriculture 

 and Horticulture in the University of Georgia. 

 2nd Edition. Published by A. S. Barnes <fc Co., 

 New York. 



This is one of the most useful works of this 

 class, published in this country, — and should be 

 in the library of every intelligent farmer and 

 gardener. It treats of the anatomy and physi- 

 ology of plants ; of meterology ; of soils in their 

 relation to physics; chemistry of the atmos- 

 phere ; chemistry of plants ; chemistry of soils ; 

 fertilizers, and animal nutrition. Not the least 

 interesting is the appendix, which gives a com- 

 plete history of all the leading agricultural plants 

 including cotton and other Southern staples. 



The author has drawn on foreign investigators 

 chiefly for his facts. Prof. Kedzie, of Michigan, 

 and President Clark of Amherst, and Mr. Rave- 

 nel have each a single reference ; and Prof. S. W. 

 Johnston is quoted in a few instances. The main 

 reliance is chiefly on the results, often contradic- 

 tory, of foreign workers. We doubt very much 

 whether some of the positions assumed would 

 find unhesitating support in this country; and 

 consequently, the practices deduced from these 

 principles sometimes become questionable. In 



the present state of our knowledge, however, no 

 person can write a book like this and have its 

 teachings as unquestionable as a work on geome- 

 try would call for; and the weak points we have 

 referred to, do not in the least detract from the 

 value of the book, which we hope will find 

 itself in the hands of all our readers. 



Landreth's Rural Eegistee ; Vick's Flower 

 AND Vegetable Garden — deserve more than a 

 passing notice, on account of the immense 

 amount of useful information they contain. The 

 latter is an especially beautiful production, and is 

 a great credit to the American trade. 



Centennial Historical Calendar. — Philadel- 

 phia, published by T. W. Price & Co., for 1876. 



This little almanac will be of immense service 

 to any one visiting the Centennial. There is a 

 map of Fairmount Park with references to the 

 leading points of interest, with addresses of the 

 hotels, directions of the street cars, and many 

 matters that will interest the stranger. No price 

 is named, and it is probably for gratuitous distri- 

 bution by the firm above named. 



The American Naturalist. — As announced in 

 our last, this magazine appeared in January, un- 

 der the protection of Messrs. Houghton & Co., of 

 Boston. The popular character of the magazine 

 has been immensely extended, and we shall be 

 surprised if it does not soon become one of the 

 most widely circulated of American periodicals. 



The Rural Journal. — This is a new candidate 

 for public favor, published by H. Young, and edited 

 by Prof. S. B. Heiges, of York, Pa. The editor is 

 well known to the farmers and Fruit Growers' of 

 Pennsylvania, as one of the most intelligent gen- 

 tlemen connected with their interests; and he is 

 also known to our readers by an occasional con- 

 tribution from his pen. He was one of the best 

 presidents the State Fruit-grower's Society ever 

 had, and our editorial brethren receive in him an 

 honorable addition to their ranks. It is a very 

 cheap agricultural paper — only 50 cents a year. 



The Garden. — This English weekly, now in its 

 ninth year, has been a great success. The pub- 

 lisher is now emboldened to add a weekly colored 

 plate, raising the price of the magazine one- 

 fourth more than it was before. 



The Practical Farmer. — This well-known 

 agricultural paper, which, for seventeen years 

 was published by the late Paschall Morris, in 

 Philadelphia, continues to prosper, and will here- 

 after be issued as a weekly. 



