May i8, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



239 



The whole apparatus has been most successful, givinj^, with 

 a moderate fire of anthracite, a night temperature of fifty de- 

 grees during- the coldest weather. The amount of fuel con- 

 sumed has not exceeded on the average more than two com- 

 mon hodfuls in the twenty-four hours. The supply of water 

 for the plants was afforded by sinking a common whisky- 

 barrel in the ground beneath the benches, and filling this by 

 means of a portable hose, connected when needed with tlie 

 faucet in a neighboring stable. 



In the arrangement of the interior of the greenhouse a bench 

 was constructed on each side, three feet high, with a depth of 

 four feet, the hemlock-boards being cut off this length and 

 placed within a half-inch space and left movable. The sup- 

 ports are of galvanized iron half-inch pipe, which are neater, 

 stronger and more durable than wood. At the extremity of the 

 northern bench nearest the stove a space of about four feet in 

 length was reserved for a propagating-bed, the bottom being 

 of common roofing-slate, and the area beneath boarded in to 

 confine the heat. 



The central walk of two feet in width between the benches 

 has a flooring of North River flagging-stone, laid down with- 

 out cement. The greenhouse cost slightly more than two 

 hundred dollars. It might have cost less, especially in the ar- 

 rangement of the heating-pipes, in which experience on my 

 part was wanting, but I am satisfied. The house has been an 

 unfailing source of pleasure to us all. An abundant supply of 

 common window-plants has been propagated by cuttings, 

 various kinds of seeds have been raised, and the area belovv' 

 the benches devoted to various Ferns, running plants and 

 shade-loving vegetation, while Tropasolums and other vines 

 have been trailed along the centre overhead — all, too, under the 

 sole supervision of a daughter, whose tastes have thus been 

 gratified, as may those of many other of our female readers. 



Chestnut Hill, Mass. D. D. Slade. 



No Flowers Sold in the Streets of Boston. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir, — All those who love the spring and its flowers must feel 

 like remonstrating against the exclusion of the flower-venders 

 from the public streets in Boston. A week ago they were like 

 a garden. There were May-flowers and Daffodils everywhere 

 inviting every passer-by to take them, or at least to take a look, 

 and carry away a memory of spring. Here was a boy with 

 great bunches of Roses, Carnations, Sweet Peas and Ferns, 

 and purple Pansies " for thoughts " ; and there were more boys 

 with Marsh Marigolds to remind each man who passed of the 

 brooks and meadows as he knew them in his boyhood. 

 Everywhere there were women with a handful of flowers to 

 offer, flowers of the field and garden and wildwood — all with 

 suggestions of the country and the spring. But these are all 

 gone — boys, flowers, and smiling, interested women and the 

 pleasant thoughts suggested. There are some florists' win- 

 dows left to look into, and these are beautiful, but the plate- 

 glass window will not allow us a touch or smell, and the sight 

 alone brings no thrill of remembrance and delight. Nowa- 

 days, when it. is held that beauty is a great educating force, 

 should we not protest when so much of it is swept away from 

 the streets where every one can enjoy it ? 



Boston. 



E. 



Recent Publications. 



77/1? Genus Masdevallia. Issued by the Marquess of Lothian, 

 K.T., chiefly from plants. in his collection of Orchids at New- 

 battle Abbey. The plates and descriptions by Miss Florence 

 Woolward, with vignette engravings from photographs, and 

 additional notes by Consul F. C. Lehmann, German Consul in 

 the Republic of Colombia. Dedicated by permission to Her 

 Majesty the Queen. 



The first two parts of this remarkable book have just been 

 sent out to subscribers, and may be procured from Mr. R. H. 

 Porter, 18 Princes Street, Cavendish Square, London, at the 

 price of ^i los. each. It is intended to be published in about 

 twelve parts, each containing ten folio plates, and from what 

 we know of its authors we may fairly believe that it will be 

 completed in a reasonable space of time. The genus Masde- 

 vallia is one which, on account of the extreme delicacy, beauty 

 and curiosity of its numerous species, and of the difficulty of 

 introducing and cultivating many of them, is of great interest 

 both to botanists and Orchid-growers, and well deserves the 

 pains and skill which have been lavished upon it by the au- 

 thors, both of whom have done their parts remarkably well. 

 For, though neither of them lays claim to the title of botanist, 

 yet the book is one which will be indispensable both to bota- 



nists and horticulturists and to those who love illustrations of 

 beautiful plants. The drawings, lithographs and descriptions 

 are the work of a lady and an amateur, but the book will take 

 high rank among the most beautiful scientific works of the 

 century. Miss Woolward's drawings are not of the style which 

 is alTectcd by some artists of her sex, who sacrifice exactitude 

 of structural detail to artistic effect ; they are, on the contrary, of 

 a more botanical character, and though in some cases there is 

 a certain stiffness about them which the artist pure and simple 

 might criticise, yet they are most faithfully drawn and colored 

 from the living examples, and show the curious and minute 

 details of structin-e in these wonderful plants in a way that no 

 ordinary artist, however skillful, could have done. The Mar- 

 quess of Lothian, whose love for these delicate plants has led 

 him to devote to their cultivation the leisure snatched from the 

 numerous and pressing engagements of a miinster of state, is 

 fortunate in having found an artist of such aliility and industry 

 to draw and describe them. We have recently lost Miss North, 

 who was distinguished above all her sex as a traveler and 

 painter of floral beauty, but we may say that in Miss Wool- 

 ward a most worthy successor has appeared, though her draw- 

 ings are of a totally difl'erent character. It is unusual to find a 

 lady who can look at plants in the truly scientific spirit which 

 Miss Woolward shows, and so far as we know she is the first 

 who has combined with this spirit the power and will to carry 

 out such a work as this in a thorough manner. Laboring un- 

 der many difficulties which only those who have had experi- 

 ence in similar work can realize, and deprived by the extraor- 

 dinary will of the late Professor Reichenbach of access to the 

 collection which was almost indispensable to a complete 

 knowledge of this genus of Orchids, it was not possible that 

 this monograph sliould be absolutely complete ; but it is a 

 work which will astonish many who only know the few species 

 of Masdevallia which are found even in large collections of 

 Orchids. 



The co-operation of Consul Lehmann, who perhaps of all 

 men knows most of the plants in their native country, and his 

 notes on the climate of the localities where Masdevallias grow, 

 will be of great use to cultivators. The bibliography, syn- 

 onymy and descriptions appear to be most careful, concise and 

 systematic, the history of the plants is given as far as known at 

 present, and we are sure thatany collectors or growers of these 

 plants who possess rare species will do well to communicate 

 with Miss Woolward, and, if possible, send her flowers of un- 

 known or doubtful species. 



Such a work as this, together with the excellent manual of 

 Orchidaceous plants which is being published by Messrs. 

 Veitch & Sons, of London, aided by the activity and enterprise 

 of Orchid collectors in South America, will, no doubt, increase 

 the number of amateurs who devote themselves to the study 

 and cultivation of these plants. 



The twelfth bulletin of the Salem Public Library is devoted 

 to botany, and contains, first, an introduction in which some 

 sound advice on reading in botany is given ; second, a special 

 reading-list of botanical works, and third, a special reading-list 

 of works on agriculture and gardening. " Botanical reading," 

 the introduction tells us, " may be of two sorts. We may read 

 to obtain a knowledge of the structure, physiology and uses 

 of plants, or to become acquainted with the plants of certain 

 regions. In either case some general knowledge of the natural 

 divisions of plants is essential, but even before this knowledge 

 can be obtained there must be a thorough understanding of 

 the simple elements of botany, so that the terminology of cer- 

 tain advanced booksmay be readily comprehended, for in every 

 branch of science there are terms which must be continually 

 used, and the author must take for granted a certain amount of 

 elementary knowledge on the part of the reader of the methods 

 of treating the subject. Botanical reading — in fact, all reading 

 on subjects of natural history — should be accompanied by con- 

 tinual examinations of specimens, living specimens wherever 

 possible, in the case of plants and animals, with the aid of a 

 magnifying-glass when required." And the bulletin goes on, 

 sensibly, to insist "that the gardener, florist, woodsman and car- 

 penter will work more intelligently with the aid of a course of 

 botanical reading. Our walks to and from business in our 

 city streets can be made more interesting, and the study of 

 their daily changes and growth will awaken a desire to loiow 

 more of plant-life generally — at least, to cultivate a quality of 

 observation." The special reading-lists seem to us to be ad- 

 mirably selected and to cover the entire field, embracing not 

 only physiological and structural botany, but such special sub- 

 jects as the Evolution of Plants, Descriptive Botany, Trees 

 (American and Foreign), Grasses, Cryptogams, Ferns, Mosses, 



