156 



TEE GARDENEB'S MONTHLY 



[Mat, 



dener and botanist. The exploration of the 

 Island was ordered by General Horace Capron? 

 who is chief agricultural adviser to the Emperor 

 of Japan, and the document we publish is in the 

 nature of a report addressed to him. 



Postal laws on seeds and plants. — We warned 

 our friends that unless they exerted themselves 

 much more than we expected they would, the 

 express companies would hold all the advantage 

 they had gained, and the rates would not be 

 lowered. Now, as we write, it looks as if they 

 are to be increased — not only is the obnoxious 

 one cent per oz. rate to be continued, — but for 

 " over 1000 miles 2 cents." 



Artificial heat in Horticulture. — We may 

 form some idea of the rapid progress in horticul- 

 tural buildings from the fact that one hundred 

 and fifty years ago, even dwellings in England 

 had not begun to be artificially heated. 



The First English Nursery. — The earliest 

 nursery worthy of the name of which we have 

 any record seems to have been that of London & 

 Wise, founded in 1684. 



Mr. Charles Darwin. — This distinguished 

 naturalist was born with the coming in of the 

 century, and has recently passed his 7Gth birth- 

 day. 



Miscellaneous Publications. — We have re- 

 ceived Helmick's Counterfeit Note Detector, 

 Dreer's Garden Calendar, Long Bros.' Illustra- 

 tions, Home Florist, Briggs Bros.' "Tomato 

 Kace" and Catalogue, Bull's New Plants, An- 

 nual Report of the Chicago Bot. Garden, by 

 Prof. Babcock, showing good progress. Manual 

 of Co-operation, by Hon. Thos D. Worrall 

 of Louisville, Ky. 



The Language of Flowers, and floral conver- 

 Bation, by " Uncle Charlie." From James Vick^ 

 Rochester. This is gotten out in a small beauti- 

 fully bound volume three inches square, — and 

 will make a very attractive article on any lady's 

 parlor table. 



First Book of Zoology. — By Prof Ed. G. 

 Morse. We have only a notice from Messrs. 

 Appleton that they are publishing a book as 

 above — we have not seen it, — but can say from 

 what we know of Prof. Morse's knowledge of 

 the subject, and abilities as a teacher, that no 

 man in America is capable of giving us a better 

 book on this subject. 



The Shepherd's Manual. — A practical treatise 

 on sheep, by Henry Stewart, New York, Orange 



Judd & Co. This little manual takes into con- 

 sideration everything connected with sheep 

 management, and must be a useful helper to the 

 class for whom it is intended. A very interest- 

 ing chapter is that devoted to the anatomy and 

 diseases of sheep. Referring to the favorite food 

 of sheep, Mr. Stewart notices that they are par- 

 ticularly fond of those worthless weeds, the ox- 

 eye daisy, and the yarrow. He speaks of the 

 " bunch grass " of the plains, as Festuca, " sca- 

 brella," and as being something different from 

 the ordinary sheep Fescue, Festuca ovina. Only 

 that we note the remarkable accuracy of the 

 botanical references — remarkable for works of 

 this character we should be disposed to query 

 this. As it is, we presume it may be as Mr. 

 Stewart says. 



The American Lawn. — By Thos. McClunie, 

 Landscape Gardener, Hartford, Conn. This ia 

 an excellent essay, by one who is a master of 

 his art. It can probably be obtained from the 

 author. 



Forest Culture in Minnesota. — Published by 

 The State Forestry Association. Nothing shows 

 more the growing attention given to forestry than 

 the increase in the number of essays and papers 

 like unto this, which is an address by Leonard B. 

 Hodges. As is well known, we do not agree with 

 much of the abstract theory thrown round for- 

 estry, and which Mr. Hodges adopts in common 

 with so many others. But on the practical 

 points, as developed by undoubted facts and 

 figures, there can be no difference, and the i)ub- 

 lication of the address will on this account alone 

 be of great value. 



An Egg Farm. — By H. H. Stoddard, published 

 by Orange Judd & Co., New York. From J. B. 

 Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia. This small pa- 

 per covered work, tells what it is by its compre- 

 hensive title. The management of fowls for 

 their eggs chiefly. It is cheap and useful, — two 

 excellent qualities in these times. 



Manual of Small Fruits. — Mr. E. P. Roe tells 

 us in a letter that he has issued a small work 

 under the above title, and that he has " read the 

 advanced sheets to Charles Downing." All such 

 works are valuable, as fruit culture is continually 

 progressing, and there is, or ought to be, some- 

 thing new in all new books of this kind. 



Phonetic Magazine : a monthly magazine, ed- 

 ited by W. Geo. Waring, Tyrone, Pa. Short- 

 hand writing, and the many interests involved in 

 his depiitrtment of literature, command general 



