94 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
hear the criticism of a good and thoughtful man on the place that trade and com- 
merce should have amongst the humanities. We strongly recommend that it be 
placed on the table wherever young men are likely to be on the look-out for some- 
thing in the way of sound literature. 
Our any ABout. By Harn Friswett (Groombridge).—Mr. Friswell’s bright 
narrative of a boy’s adventures, with its happy sketches, arctic scenery, and prairie 
dangers, comes before us once more in a quite new dress, and seems as fresh in 
tone as if we now saw it for the first time. There are so few who can write 2 
good boy’s book, though many try, that we must make the very most of such 
as meet the requirements of the case, both to keep trashy books out of the hands 
of boys, and to accustom them to the flavour of healthy literature. But we talk of 
boys too exclusively, for “‘ Out and About” will suit the girls as well as the boys, 
and we have just heard a damsel of sweet fifteen declare with emphasis that it is a 
“jolly book.” 
HORTICULTURAL AFFAIRS. 
reg] YAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—The annual meeting of the 
Mi As ) society was held at South Kensington, on February 10, Lord Aberdare, 
Ly AY President of the Society, in the chair. In the report presented to the 
s meeting, the Council refer to the necessity for increasing the income of 
the society, and express their regret that they should have had to revise 
the privileges of the Fellows, for the purpose of augmenting the income. An 
attempt was made on the part of some of the local Fellows to remove the Council, 
but in this they were defeated by a large majority, and the report was then adopted. 
Towards the close of the meeting, a committee of Fellows resident in Kensington 
was, on the suggestion of the President, formed to consult with the Council in refer- 
ence to the privileges of the four guinea Fellows. 
Tue Royat Horricutturat Socrery’s exhibitions for the current year are four 
in number, and these are fixed for March 15, June 7 and 8, July 19 and 20, and 
November 8. The exhibition announced for May 3 has been superseded. 
i. Tue Royat Aquarium Socrety’s exhibitions at Westminster, of plants, fruits, 
flowers, and vegetables, te be held in the course of the year, will constitute the most 
important series of exhibitions that will for the present engage the attention of 
horticulturists, for the dates have been fixed with judgment, the schedule for each 
show is sufficiently comprehensive, and the prizes are throughout exceedingly liberal, 
and in some instances extravagantly so. The dates of the exhibition are as follows— 
April 12 and 18, May 10 and 11, May 30 and 31, July 5 and 6, October 4 and 5. 
SripaA PENNATA, regarded as a somewhat rare ornamental grass in English 
gardens, grows abundantly in the plains of Hungary, and is there collected and 
dried for those winter bouquets of grasses and evyerlastings which appear in our 
markets towards Christmas. 
Tur FLowerrs USED IN PEeRFuMING TEA, according to the Chinese Materia 
Medica, are chiefly those of Aglaia odorata, Gardenia radicans, Camellia sasanque, 
Jasminum sambac, Olea fragrans, and Ternstrémia japonica, the flowers of the Olea 
being the most extensively employed for the purpose. The leaves of Salix alba are 
employed rather extensively where they have been properly prepared for mixing 
with the common kinds of tea intended for exportation. 
Tue BARTRAM PLANT PRorEcTOR AND Por Dratner is an ingenious contrivance, 
introduced by Messrs. Dick Radclyffe and Co., for the exclusion of worms from . 
flower-pots. It consists of a square piece of perforated zinc, to be placed over the 
hole in the bottom of the pot before the crocks are placed in it, It in no way 
interferes with the ready escape of the superfluous moisture, but most effectually 
prevents the worms entering the pots. 
QueErcus ANDERSONI, a new species of oak from the Sikkim Himalaya, was the 
subject of a paper by Dr. G. King at the last meeting of the Linnzan Society. It 
is the “ Katoos” of the Nepaulese, and one of the very finest of Indian forest trees. 
It is closely related to Q. spicata, but is met with at higher altitudes, 
BrussEts INTERNATIONAL Exurpition.—This, the hundredth exhibition of 
the Brussels Society of Flora, is likely to prove a brilliant affair. The exhibition 
will open on the 30th of April, and the Botanical Congress to be held in connection 
