NOVEMBER 245 



and money to illustrate books in this way. These 

 illustrations are printed in Germany ; let us hope that the 

 artists were also Germans. 



1895. ' In a Gloucestershire Garden,' by Henry 

 Ellacombe. I think most people who are personally 

 interested in their gardens will enjoy this book ; there is 

 much to be learnt from it, and the second part is especially 

 instructive. It breathes the true spirit of a garden, 

 independently of the human element or of book-making. 

 Canon Ellacombe names many of the old Eoses, now 

 gone out of fashion, but I rather doubt if he has ever seen 

 Eedoute's wonderful Eose book. He ends his book with 

 a warning to the clergy against gardening, as being too 

 interesting and too absorbing an occupation for them. I 

 can thoroughly echo this sentiment as a warning to all 

 young people. It can only be perfectly indulged in by 

 the lonely or the old, and by those who do not mind 

 neglecting their other duties, and who say, bravely and 

 honestly, ' I am quite selfish and quite happy.' But 

 of course this is the danger of all absorbing pursuits. 

 I agree with many of Canon Ellacombe's remarks ; one 

 especially can never be too often repeated : ' In nothing 

 is the gardener's skill more shown than in the judicious 

 use of the pruning-knife.' His experience of the American 

 Bramble is exactly mine as far as the fruit goes ; it is 

 not worth growing, as the fruit is less in quantity and 

 inferior in quality to our own wild Brambles. But the cut 

 leaf is prettier, and at any rate makes a variety. 



1895. ' The Story of the Plants,' by Grant Allen, is a 

 humble, little popular bdols ; but I am sure its perusal 

 will bring pleasure and increased understanding to many 

 who read it. One of his sayings is * that plants are the 

 only things that know how to manufacture living material. 

 Eoughly speaking, plants are the producers and animals 

 the consumers.' 



