610 Forbes' s Hints on Ornnmcnlal GardcniJig. 



native countries, the author judiciously assigns "gardens" as the native 

 place of hybrids and art-created plants. This is a simple ami good idea. The 

 letters pi. are appended to many of the species and varieties, which, we are 

 told, " denote that a coloured engraving of the fruit or flower may be seen 

 at the coTinting-house." This reads well. The great error in the scientific 

 part ef the book is the omission of authentications to the generic and 

 specific names ; and the only private catalogue we remember as faultless on 

 this important point is the excellent one, by Mr. Pe«ny, of Messrs. Young's 

 collection at Epsoin. Nurserymen must eventually encounter this unwel- 

 come subject. 



We must not, however, stop here. The subservience of Mr. Masters's 

 catalogue to the purposes of trade and to botany is to us less admirable 

 than the horticultural information infused into it. At the head of every 

 division, and, among the fruits, at the head of every family, are excellent 

 practical directions, descriptions, and suggestions for guiding you both in 

 the selection of what you want, and in managing it when you have pur- 

 chased it. This is both clever and honourable. As an instance of the 

 nature and value of his directory remarks, we quote the following, which, 

 appropriately enough, is placed at the close of the list of hardy perennials : — 

 " The brilliancy of modern ornamental gardening has of late been sur- 

 prisingly increased by the practice of placing many showy plants, that are 

 commonly grown in the green-house, into the flower-border, during the 

 months of May and June. By this means many of our rarer exotics pro- 

 duce a profusion of blossoms that they refuse under any other management. 

 In this manner, also, bouquets of the most rare and beautiful flowers may 

 be gathered with the profusion of our usual garden inhabitants. 



" The species and varieties of the following genera are eminently cal- 

 culated to embellish choice flower borders upon this principle : — Alons6«, 

 Jnagallis, Bouvardi«, Calceolaria, Canna, Chrysocoma, Ciconium, Cineraria, 

 Diauthus, Erythrina, Eucomis, Fuchsk, Gorterk, i/eliotr«pium, Lantjuia, 

 LobehV/, iotiis, il/alva, Maurandya, Mesembryauthemum, Pelargonium, 

 Silvia, Swainsonirt, 5'enecio, Tropge'olum, Terbena, &c." 



Among the fruits, he gives their colour, shape, size, flavour, texture as to 

 surface and to flesh, and whether fitter for the kitchen or dessert, the time 

 at which they are fittest for use, and the situations in wliich the respective 

 kinds grow best, &c. When speaking of gooseberries, after remarking the 

 prodigious size of some kinds raised and cultivated in the northern counties, 

 he adds, " Nor are all the large kinds thick-skinned or destitute of flavour, 

 as some assei't: on the contrary, many will be found at once tender, fla- 

 vorous, and highly productive." We are of this opinion, and make the 

 quotation designedly, as some set off to the slight cast upon the large kinds 

 by B., in his humorous note in p. 3.31. of the current volume. 



All things considered, the catalogue pleases us much. " Thirty acres 

 are employed in rearing" the articles it enumerates. — /. D. 

 Forbes, Alexander, Gardener at Levens, Lancashire, to the Hon. Colonel 

 F. G. Howard, &c. : Short Hints on Ornamental Gardening ; containing 

 Directions for planting, training, and pruning Fruit and Forest Trees, 

 ishrubs, and Flowers. To which are added, a select List of Fruit Trees, 

 and a general priced Catalogue of hardy Forest Trees and Shrubs. 

 Kendal, 18-iO. Small 8vo. 



This little work cons'sts of two parts : the Hints, which occupy 28 pages ; 

 and the Lists, which commence at the twenty-ninth ptige, and extend to the 

 end of the work, or the ninety-sixth page. With evei-y respect for Mr. Forbes 

 as a practical man, we are sorry we cannot commend him so much as we 

 could wish as an author. We think he would have done well to have pre- 

 viously tried his hand at a few essays in this Miigazine. The art of 

 writing, like every other art, is only to be acquired through time and labour. 



