1883. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



95 



like to see both kept in view. The work seems to 

 have for its main object the encouragement of hor- 

 ticulture among the young, and because of this 

 very style will be welcome to older folks. Many 

 of us who are whitening with age, learn more when 

 we are taught as if we are children than in any 

 other way. We regard this as a good, useful book, 

 even though it riiay tell nothing new to those who 

 have already had an extended experience. 



Colorado as an Agricultural State, by 

 N. E. Pabor: New York, published by the Orange 

 Judd Company. Those who only know Colorado 

 by reading about it, imagine a dry, barren country, 

 and think of what such a country must be for ag- 

 riculture ; while those who see it for the first time 

 do not think much of Colorado from first impres- 

 sion of the agricultural prospect. But a short ac- 

 quaintance dispels the illusion. Irrigation does 

 better than nature. It does not pour when enough 

 has already been provided, and refuse a drop to 

 earnest supplication. By irrigation we can water 

 when we please, and stop whenever we please, and 

 the plant enjoys this good treatment so much thatit 

 does its best in return. The writer of this has seen 

 fifty bushels to the acre from wheat on the Arkan- 

 sas, and there is scarcely an agricultural crop 

 common in the East but may be made to yield 

 considerably more in Colorado than an Eastern 

 farm ever knew. It is evident, however, that it re- 

 quires a greater amount of intelligence to farm 

 on this plan, than it does on the " trust to nature" 

 system. A work like this of Mr. Pabor's is just 

 what the man of intelligence needs. It will be a 

 necessary companion to the Colorado immigrant, 

 unless he is willing to spend years in learning for 

 himself what he could here get the track of by 

 a few hours reading. Not only the agriculturist 

 but those interested in any pursuit will profit by a 

 perusal of the work. 



Forestry Bulletin No. 23, United States 

 Census, has just been issued. It gives an estimate 

 of the consumption of wood as fuel in the United 

 States during the census year. Also a map of the 

 United States showing the character of the fuel 

 used on the areas marked on the map. Over 

 32,000,000 people use wood yet for domestic fuel, 

 and for these no less than 7,361,992 cords, $15,067,- 

 651 in value, in the great coal state of Pennsyl- 

 vania alone. We have to look in the future for 

 something else besides fence posts and railroad ties. 



Annual Report of the Director of the 

 Arnold Arboretum, 1881-82. — From Prof. E. S. 



Sargent, Director. Annual Report of the Director 

 of the Royal Gardens, Kew, 1881, from Dr. J. D. 

 Hooker, Director. 



We are glad of the opportunity to notice together 

 the annual reports of these two excellent institu- 

 tions, established in the old and the new world, 

 the one in a vigorous infancy with a promise of a 

 long and useful life, the other old in years, but as 

 young and flourishing in useful work as it ever 

 was. From Prof. Sargent's report we notice that 

 the New Sylva of the United States, which will give 

 colored plates of all the trees of our country, is in 

 a good state of progress towards completion. 



Among the many useful chapters in the Kew 

 Report are those relating to new facts in coffee, 

 gutta percha, India rubber, and especially cin- 

 chona. In connection with the last named it may 

 be noted that the experimental plantations in 

 Jamaica have proved a great success wherever 

 they have been made at elevations between 2,500 

 and 5,000 feet, but have failed at lower ones. The 

 Director of Kew Gardens believes that at no dis- 

 tant date Jamaica will produce enough bark to 

 supply the demand from the United States. Dr. 

 Alfred S. Kennedy, of Philadelphia, has for some 

 time been enthusiastic in his belief that it would 

 succeed in some parts of the United States, and 

 desires the United States government to attempt 

 its introduction. For our own part we do not know 

 of any place where it is likely to succeed. Un- 

 fortunately the United States has no "government 

 stations" in different parts of the countries where 

 knowledge from actual experiment, under the direc- 

 tion of intelligent gardeners, could be obtained. 

 The experimental grounds under the direction of 

 the State Colleges may some day supply this de- 

 ficiency, and many of them could do so well 

 already. No doubt Professor Hilgard, of the Uni- 

 versity of California, could soon tell whether it 

 was worth while to invoke government aid for Cin- 

 chona culture in any part of California. 



Les Plantes Potageres, description et cul- 

 ture des principaux Ifegumes des climats temp^r^s, 

 par Vilmorin, Andrieux et cie. Paris, 1883. 

 (Kitchen Garden Plants, and the principal legumes 

 of temperate regions, with their description and 

 culture.) This is a magnificent work of 650 pages 

 by this world renowned seed firm, profusely illus- 

 trated by fine engravings and giving minutely the 

 histories of everything known. It is amazing what 

 numbers of plants are under culture, of which 

 little is as yet known in our country. Though 

 the French language is now widely understood in 



