18T6.] 



AND HOB TIG UL TUB 1ST. 



189 



"In Philadelphia, Robert Buist, one of our 

 oldest florists, has a small orchid house. Men- 

 tion should also be made of a small assortment 

 grown by Caleb Cope, in Philadelphia, about 

 1850, which was dispersed after his death !" 



It will be strange news to the flourishing 

 young family of our good friend, Caleb Cope, 

 to hear of his death in this sudden man- 

 ner. We hope and believe, however, that 

 this esteemed and honored gentleman will 

 yet live many years, and that when in the 

 fullness of time he shall be called away from 

 us, his great services to horticulture and to 

 orchid-growing horticulture will be recorded by 

 a more intelligent pen. In the great collection 

 at Glen Ridge -his own collection — which in his 

 "history" Mr. Rand so much glorifies, there are 

 but 269 species, — a list we are quite sure the 

 "small collection" of Caleb Cope equalled, if it 

 did not excel. There was nothing of consequence 

 known at that day, that was considered. worthy 

 of culture, that was not purchased ; and the col- 

 lection was continually being weeded out, and 

 the places filled by the kinds on trial. Be- 

 sides the orchid house, the large Victoria lily 

 house, and other houses, were made to do duty 

 to contain the plants of this superb collection. 



Then there were the magnificent collections of 

 James Dundas, Mrs. Rush, and Matthew W. Bald- 

 win, about which Mr. Rand seems to know 

 .nothing at all, besides smaller collections by 

 other j>ersons, — and at the present time surely 

 the collections of Mr. Pratt McKean, and of 

 Mrs. Baldwin, under the management of those 

 excellent gardeners, Messrs. Newett and Joyce, 

 are worthy of some note in a "history." 



We confine our criticism to the Philadelphia 

 part of this so-called history. Baltimore may 

 ask why Captain Snow has been overlooked, and 

 other cities may have each its own grievances. 

 We regret to have to make these remarks. In 

 many respects we regard Mr. Rand as one of the 

 best friends of American horticulture, and he is 

 capable of much better work than this. But 

 American cultivators have great difficulties in 

 making themselves known. The Old World 

 like a wealthy firm in business, has a per- 

 fect machinery for advertising its doings. 

 It is extremely difficult to run against estab. 

 lished channels. Even our own people, who 

 .ought to know better, are prone to think 

 there is no horticulture at all in America, and 

 look to Europe for the supply of every little 

 trifle they want, and for every scrap of informa- 



tion they need. Those of us Avho are laboring 

 for American advancement, are anxious, not 

 that we shall have a reputation before Europe 

 for what we do not desei-ve, bu-t that we should 

 get credit for what we have ; and it is therefore 

 peculiarly mortifying to these workers to have 

 books like these go forth to the world as the 

 best that America can do. 



Amidst all this to regret, there is one comfort : 

 nothing is really so simple as orchid culture — 

 nothing in floriculture more fascinating. Mr. 

 Rand's book is a beautiful one, and with all its 

 shortcomings, is calculated to increase the taste 

 for these curious plants. It is far from doing 

 justice to the subject, but it will aid in a good 

 cause. 



Manual on the Culture of Small Fruits. 

 By E. P. Roe. 



Small fruit culture is much further advanced 

 in America than in Europe, but we think com- 

 paratively in its infancy here. All engaged in 

 it continue to find something . new, and every 

 writer who honestly gives his OAvai practical ex- 

 perience, is helping small fruit culture to a 

 healthy and vigorous growth. Since we wrote 

 our last paragraph in reference to Mr. Roe's lit- 

 tle book, we have the volume itself. It is just 

 of the character we have referred to, and will 

 have its good use. We fancy some cultivators 

 would do things differently, and that is well 

 enough. Mr. Roe simply tells what he has done 

 and what he would do, and on the whole what 

 he says commends itself to our judgment. He 

 is not extravagant in praise of varieties. Of the 

 Highland Hardy raspberry, 'for instance, he tells 

 us that it is " infinitely better than none," and 

 after all this may be, at the option of the reader, 

 great praise ; for the best any one ever ate may 

 claim just such a character. 



Mr. Roe is a successful raiser of seedling fruits. 

 His gooseberries received high praise from Prof. 

 Thurber, who is usually careful and discrimin- 

 ating in his Judgment, and if Mr. Roe's practice 

 in small fruits prove as good as his varieties, the 

 little tract will be well worth the 50 cents asked 

 for it. 



The Mill Stone. — A monthly journal of prac- 

 tical science. Richmond, Ind. No. 6. Above 

 the average of " family papers," as the Western 

 magazines generally are. We are pleased to 

 note that a good friend of the Gardener's Monthly, 

 Mrs. Helen V. Austin, takes excellent charge of the 

 department of " boys and girls." She treats them 



