1879.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



349 



season to show that even nntutored savages as 

 they are called, could raise wonderful crops 

 when under good advice. 



Mr. Meeker was well known to many in the 

 East as one of the Commissioners to the Cen- 

 tennial from Colorado. lie was continuous 

 in his efforts to have a plot assigned to him 

 with water privileges, in order to show how 

 agriculture was carried on in those parts of our 

 country where there is little rain. There were 

 many difficulties in the way, and before they 

 could be overcome the season was too far gone 

 for planting. This he always regretted, as he 

 had full faith in the idea that our rainless re- 

 gions under systems of irrigation were really 

 more valuable for agricultural purposes than 

 those seemingly more favored places watered 

 by frequent rains. It was one of his ambitions to 

 live to shovv this conclusively, and, whether or 

 not the results would have equalled his enthu- 

 siasm, he has already accomplished enough in 

 that line to render his loss in some measure a 

 national calamity. His son Ralph partakes of 

 his father's energy and genius, and we believe 

 was editing the Greelei/ Tribune in his father's 

 absence. At this writing it is believed that his 

 wife and daughter who were philanthrophically 

 devoting themselves to the education of the 

 savages, have escaped. 



The Native Flowers and Ferns of the 

 United States. — The useful little Botanical 

 Index of Indiana, has not come to our table for 

 some time, but by a communication from a 

 friend, we learn that it has announced that the 

 " Native Flowers and Ferns of the United 

 States" has suspended publication for want of 

 patronage. The contrary is the fact. The work 

 as proposed to be finished in ninety-six chap- 

 ters, has been completed, and not suspended ; 

 and as it is eleclrotyped and chromo-litho- 

 graphed, it may be had by an}' one during the 

 next century. 



When it was projected, it was announced 

 that if the public seemed to desire it, another 

 sei'ies of ninety-six chapters should be issued. 

 Instead of there being a want of patronage for 

 the first, the publishers were encouraged to go 

 on at once with another. This also has been 

 completed, and one-half the issue delivered to 

 subscribers. For this set also the " patronage" 

 has been sufficient to warrant the preparation of 

 a set of drawings for a third set of ninety-six 

 chapters, for which the editor will prepare the 



MSS. the coming year. Indeed the patron- 

 age has been all that the editor and publishers 

 had a right to expect for so expensive a work. 

 Three separate sets, making near 300 of our 

 leading wild llowers, will certainly be illustrated 

 and described ; and there is no reason, so far as 

 mere " patronage" is concerned, that we can 

 see, why the work should be " suspended" in 

 any sense, till all the leading wild flowers of the 

 United States have had some justice done to- 

 them. 



Horticulture at the Centennial. — Re- 

 ports and awards of group 31. Pomology and 

 kindred branches of Horticulture. These have 

 been just issued by J. B. Lippincott & Co., 

 Philadelphia, in a neat twenty-tive cent pam- 

 phlet. The reasons for all the awards are given . 

 The following is a specimen taken at random : 

 " An awai'd is made to Mayor Pafford, Niagara, 

 Ontario, Canada, for the successful culture of 

 the Exotic Grape in the open air. He exhibits 

 Black Hamburg Grapes, a bunch weighing six- 

 teen and a-half ounces, of excellent flavor, and 

 little inferior to the best specimens generally 

 raised under glass." Besides the full account 

 of all awards made in detail in this way, is the 

 report of the Secretary of the Board of Judges 

 on the advance of Pomology during the past 

 century. 



First Step in Chemical Principles— By 

 Henry Leffman, M. D., Philadelphia. — Edward 

 Stern & Co. This is a very small book of 

 about fifty pages, but is intended to give an in- 

 sight into the great science of chemistry. Those 

 Avho have not time or inclination to go further, 

 as may be the case with many horticulturists, 

 can stop when they get through with this, and' 

 yet feel that they know enough to understand 

 what chemistry means, and to converse intelli- 

 gently in a general way about it ; while those 

 who intend to go into the stud}' in detail, will 

 find it just the thing to encourage tliem along. 

 Dr. Leftman is assistant Professor of Chemistry 

 in the Philadelphia High School, and has had 

 good experience as to the best methods of teach- 

 ing his favorite science. 



Report of the Entomologists of the 

 Department of Agriculture for 1878— By 

 C. V. Riley, Entomologist. — Reading these valu- 

 able papers — for none more valuable have ever 

 been issued by the government — it is to be re- 

 gretted that the author is no longer in that ser- 

 vice. There is a chapter on the insects injurious 



