THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[January, 



per package, postage prepaid. Those ordering 

 by express must pay charges. 



Being the original discoverer and cultivator of 

 this plant, it can only be purchased from me." 



It illustrates v^^ell how one may tell the truth 

 and not convey a good idea. There is nothing 

 that one can object to, in fact, in what is said, 

 and yet those who bought would be disappointed. 

 The flowers are sweet and curious but not showy. 

 It bears culture very well — some we have had for 

 several years in our garden thriving under all 

 vicissitudes. So far as the writer of the circular 

 is the first to make an effort to introduce it into 

 general culture, he is the " discoverer," nothing 

 more. It is however worth growing. 



Binding the Advertisements. — A correspon- 

 dent of the publisher's, from Saratoga Springs, 

 New York, sends his year's numbers to be bound, 

 directing the advertisements to be inserted ; 

 " for," says he, " in years to come it will remind 

 us of old friends and stand-by's in the trade that 

 are gone." It is a good thought, and we wonder 

 more do not think of it. The editor has his per- 

 sonal copy bound in that way. 



Thanks. — The publisher hands the editor a 

 batch of letters from many who are renewing 

 their subscriptions, telling him of their satisfac- 

 tion with the magazine, and their intention to 

 send ou a few more subscribers. These kind words 

 are encouraging, and go a good way toward.>< 

 making hard editorial labors light. It is indeed 

 only by the kind efforts of friends that a maga- 

 zine like this can increase its circulation. Lovers 

 of horticulture are scattered, and no ordinary 

 advertising can find them. Once in a while are 

 some valuable suggestions. One thinks that if 

 there were more about fruit and less about flow- 

 ers, it would be an improvement, and another 

 thinks he would have some of the fruit depart- 

 ment cut down and given to the flowers. Another 

 tells us he does not know anything about 

 " oospores " and " peronospores " in potato, but 

 likes to read all that we sometimes write about 

 practical potato culture. Another thinks we 

 give too much attention to the scientific part of 

 horticulture, and would like to sec more of the 

 practical details, while still another thinks that the 

 "mental pleasures connected with horticulture 

 are its highest charms," and hopes we will give 

 still more of it. All of them, however, speak 

 kindly of the attention given to their several de- 

 partments by the editor, who is fully determined 

 to do all for every one that he possibly can. 

 That author felt badly who, when he asked read- 



ers to criticise, found that not one solitary sen- 

 tence in his book escaped censure ; but when he 

 tried the other plan and asked for praise, and 

 found all was honored, he took heart again. We 

 do not ask for either praise or blame, but take 

 either kindly when it comes. By the criticisms 

 we often profit, and the words of praise encourage 

 to renewed effort to deserve all we get. 



Alfred Cope. — Horticulture suffers a great 

 loss in the decease of this gentleman, which 

 occurred on the 4th of December. He was in his 

 70th year, fifty of which he had been more or 

 less of an invalid. He was particularly fond of 

 hardy trees and shrubs, and endeavored to grow 

 all that would endure our climate. In this and 

 in all other tastes that he inherited, he was ever 

 anxious to share his enjoyments with others. 

 Fond of gardening, himself, he was an advocate 

 of public parks for the people, and Fairmount 

 Park, Philadelphia, really owes its existence to 

 him, he and his lirotber having purchased the 

 Sedgely estate, and presented it to the city as the 

 commencement of the enterprise. The Zoologi- 

 cal Garden, one of the attractions of the Park, 

 and a source of much intelligent amusement to 

 the people, received $25,000 from him not long 

 since. He was ever a friend to the poor and the 

 oppressed, but so averse was he to letting his 

 right hand know what his left hand did, that the 

 many thousands of dollars he has given away in 

 his long lifetime will be known only to a few in- 

 timate friends. His great aim always seemed to 

 bo not so much to hold others up, as to help them 

 to hold themselves. Ho loved, therefore, to aid 

 the cause of education in its most solid and use- 

 fiil phases. For the operatives of Germantown 

 he established a free library in which an im- 

 mense collection of books have been gotten to- 

 gether, excluding frivolous kinds. Tliough a 

 devout and earnest Christian, he was also a deep 

 inquirer into the mysteries of science, fearing no 

 antagonism between truths. He leaves three 

 children — one of them, Prof E. D. Cope, stand- 

 ing at the head of certain branches of science in 

 this country. 



Death of Dr. Hri.i.. — This excellent gentleman 

 died at his residence, near Alton, Illinois, during 

 the last week of November last, of inflammation 

 of the bowels, in his 59th year. Mrs. Hull, heart- 

 broken by the blow, died four days after. This 

 is a truly great loss to Western horticulture, 

 as few there had so great a knowledge both of 

 the theory and practice of horticulture. He was 



