330 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ April 18, 1872. 



Woodward tells " the story of our life from year to year " as 

 seen in God's ivorld during one and each year. 



In the first chapter he informs us of his own first intro- 

 duction to Natnre, when he first began " to love the grass, 

 trees, flowers, and birds.'' This, strange to say, happened on 

 a -winter's day. He says, " I set out for my walk and shivered 

 with cold, but before I had gone far I saw a small kind of 

 grass in ear, and I gathered it, wondering why it had not 

 waited till the .sweet spring was come ; next I espied the 

 pretty white stars of the Chickweed, and, as I had never noticed 

 it before, I plucked it with as much delight as if I had found 

 a most splendid and fragrant flower ; and then saw other 

 flowers, and mosses, and ben-ies black and red. And I Ustened 

 to the blackbirds and redbreasts in the trees close beside me, 

 and I forgot the cold and cverytliing, except the wonder and 

 the beauty of the world which (iod was adorning in this way, 

 even in the depth of winter." This extract sliows the reverent 

 tone of the work. 



AVe have a chapter given upon each of the months, with an 

 illustration of each montli, one specimen of which we repro- 

 duce for the pleasure of our readers, that for July. These 

 ai-e excellent, and perhaps their circular foi-m adds to their 

 beauty. Ko shape equals a circle ; the stars appear to us cir- 

 cular, the moon is so shaped, and no bed on a lawn meets the 

 eye so agreeably as that in the form of a circle. The woodcut 

 for January gives us a group of pollards, with sheep huddling 

 under for protection ; that for Febraaiy a ploughjug scene ; 

 for March a labourer sowing, and a windy sky above head ; 

 that for May gives lis a party of children gathering Black- 

 thorn ; June, a hay scene; August, gleaners and their sur- 

 roundings ; October, a farmyard, and labourers thatching the 

 licks, while a broad-backed fanner looks on contentedly ; 

 while lastly, that for December pictures snow falling and fallen, 

 while a man is breaking the ice to get water for the cattle. 

 Besides these special monthly pictures there are some dozen 

 or twenty others, all pleasing, each bringing before us some 



phase of country life. A country parson ffor surely he is 

 one) reading an old quarto in an arbour, with his spaniel at 

 his feet ; I doubt whether master or dog knows much about 

 shooting, for nothing of the sportsman is in his face. Then 

 there is another picture of three children being equipped for a 

 walk, and the mother tying the hat-strings of the youngest 

 across the body of master baby who sprawls on her lap. In 

 truth, these woodcuts do one's heart good to look at. 



The plan in regard to each month is to describe its charac- 

 teristics, then its speciaUties as to birds and flowers — the mi- 

 gration of swallows, the return to us of the summer songsters, 

 are all handled in a devout and yet large-hearted manner. 



Insects and their habits are noted, specially butterflies in all 

 theu' gay gloiy. In each month is given a list of the wild 

 flowers in bloom. Then we are taken from fields to gardens, 

 and taught as this month (.\piil) to note " the white Pear 

 blossom and the delicate pink-and-white .\pple blossoms " in 

 our kitchen gardens ; while in our flower gardens we may 

 pause and admire " Laburnums ' droj^ping wells of fire ' 

 (better called here, in WOts, Golden-chains), Narcissuses, 

 Anemones, and Stocks, the Wallflower, and the Snowflake, 

 with many more, to make them gay and delightful." Finally, 

 we can fully recommend this pretty, useful, high-toned book 

 as a gift-book to gu-ls and boys. — Wiltshire Rector. 



THE FLOWER GAEDEN AT EXXON PARK. 



Last week we referred to the beautiful new flower garden in 

 front of Exton Hall, and promised to give a representation of 

 it. Unfortunately from its extent, and to afford a just idea of 

 the configuration of the beds, it has been only possilde to 



give one of the two panels composing it. These are separated 

 by a 14-feet walk, and planted alike. The breadth of grass en- 

 closing each panel is 8 feet, and that of the suirounding gi'avel 

 the same. The whole garden forms a square of 240 feet on 



