348 



The Horticulturist and Journal 



The main questions considered in taking a 

 journal are, 1. Does the subscriber get his 

 money s worth ? 2. Does it give good infor- 

 mation ? Beyond these points the public have 

 no business to demand inquiry. Yet almost 

 every one seems to make it his duty to search 

 till he can find a fault. In judging of editors 

 of rural journals, the mass of subscribers will 

 always go for the side of the one who interests 

 them most ; and the most interesting editors 

 are those who study the people closest ; not 

 those who know the, jnost, and then tell it only 

 in a doleful, dreary way. A youthful editor 

 can often polish to brightness the obscurely 

 expressed facts and ideas of the more erudite 

 scholar. 



It is not wise for any one to brag of great 

 knowledge, especially new comers ; nor " es- 

 tablished authorities" frown down others of 

 less knowledge, who are doing good work 

 according to their means. 



But we have made a sermon of what was 

 intended only as a hint at the ways of rural 

 editors, t^;Ao seem to he especially fond of criti- 

 cism. 



Copy-rij/ht tind Copy-icroiij/. 



The Villa Gardener, of London, England, 

 and The Gardener's Magazine have both 

 made response to our criticism in June Hor- 

 ticulturist. The burden of their reply is 

 iu quo-que (you also). To which we respond, 

 that we never quoted direct from Villa Gar- 

 dener, because we never discovered anything 

 original to quote. Nor from The Garden- 

 er's MagaziJie, because we never see it nor 

 exchange with it. Its editor once exchanged, 

 but never gave reason for discontinuing, while 

 our jom-nal has been continued regularly. 



The true meaning of their reply is directed 

 toward our book, " Window Gardening,'''' in 

 which five pages, written by Shirley Hibberd, 

 are quoted, and special credit given three 

 times. The illustrations referred to were 

 purchased of Shirley Hibberd, publisher, and 

 duly paid for, for use in this country. After 

 paying a man for use of his material, and then 

 extra credit besides, is it not time for him to 

 shut upl Criticism from such an one comes 

 with very ill grace. The Gardener''s Maga- 



zine welcomes " Burhridge's Domestic Flori- 

 culture " warmly ; yet it overlooks the fact, 

 that this book is nearly half made up of selec- 

 tions from The Garde7i. 



We mention this not to criticise the book, 

 for it is a good one ; but to show that the 

 opinions of critics ai*e not always to be trusted, 

 especially when they have prejudices. 



Jh^itchshis in Ireland. 



An English paper speaks of the astounding 

 luxuriance of the old red fuchsia in Ireland, 

 near Carlingford Bay. 



It assumes the proportions of trees, mounts 

 above the eaves and chimneys, and shades the 

 windows with big clustering sprays of tiny, 

 dark-green leaves, and deep scarlet, waxen 

 bells. Many of these shrubs must be of pa- 

 triarchal age, for their trunks are gnarled, 

 and tough as oak ; but the older they are, the 

 more determined is their perseverance in 

 showering around an exhaustless wealth of 

 hardy grace and color. In one or two instan- 

 ces the dwellings were completely hidden, 

 and turned into bowers, by this quaintly beau- 

 tiful plant or tree. 



jL New JEditorinl Axaociute, 



We have the pleasure of announcing that Mr. 

 Andrew S. Fuller, the well-known author and 

 horticulturist, will hereafter be identified with 

 The Horticulturist as one of its regular as- 

 sociate editors and contributors. The Decem- 

 ber No. will contain his first article, and there- 

 after he will write regularly for one or more of 

 its departments. The editor-in-chief believes 

 that with its present force of able associate 

 editors, names of the highest rank and ability, 

 representative men in the field of America7i 

 gardejiing. The Horticulturist is fully 

 entitled to a better claim upon the American 

 public than ever before. We shall continue 

 to add other practical talent to assist us in its 

 management, until no one can claim to be its 

 superior in merit. Mr. Hoopes and Mr. 

 Taplin will still continue their articles and 

 editorials, and the addition of spicy gossip 

 from Mr. Fuller's pen, will make The Hor- 

 ticulturist a splendid feast for our readers 

 the coming year. 



