June S, 1S92.] 



Garden and Forest. 



275 



been studied, the visitor will lind their highest interest cen- 

 tring in the personality of their founder. Mr. Douglas ccuM-ies 

 his eighty years so lightly Uuit he seems to have discovered 

 the fountain of perpetual youth, and he looks as lit to set out 

 for California now as he was in 1849, when he st.irted for the 

 Paciric coast with an o.\-teani and, liaving lost thcni in a swollen 

 river, traniiied on foot to his journey's end. There are few 

 parts of this country where the native trees have not been 

 studied by his observing eyes, and his stores of practical 

 knowledge in his specially are almost inexhanslible. His mem- 

 ory retains impressions with remarkable tenacity, and his ])ic- 

 turesque way of recounting the experiences of his long evenllul 

 life is a source of unfailing pleasure to all who meet him. 

 Above all, his broad public spirit, his transparent honesty, 

 his manliness and gentleness, conniiand universal respect and 

 affection. 



Chicago. •">■ 



Recent Publications. 



Lcs Ftcitrs a Paris: Odttire et Commerce. I^ar Philippe L. 

 de Vilmorin. Paris, J. B. Balliere et Fils. 1892. 



This little book will, at the very first sight, interest all grow- 

 ers of plants by reason of its author's name ; for Monsieur 

 Philippe de Vilmorin is not only the son of Monsieur Henri L. 

 de Vilmorin, the learned and famous French horticulturist, 

 but represents the fifth generation of the Vilmorin family 

 which, in one or more of its members, has tlevoted itself to 

 the cultm-e of plants, and more than any other single family 

 has raised French horficidture to its present high position. 



His father, in a brief introduction, explains the origin of his 

 book. About a year ago, it seems. Monsieur Henri de Vil- 

 morin was asked by the I'reuch Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science to speak about "Cut Flowers" at one of the 

 conferences wliicli this association holds each winter in I^aris. 

 Afterward the Messrs. Balliere, publishers of the Bibliotheque 

 Scuntifiqiic Conte/nporaine, asked him to elaborate the sub- 

 stance of his lecture, so that it might form a volume in this 

 collection of useful popular manuals. But as other demands 

 upon his time were too numerous he turned the task, together 

 with his own materials, over to his eldest son, whose work 

 now lies before us. The father asks the reader's indulgence 

 on the ground that this is a maiden essay, published before 

 the writer had entered his twenty-first year. But one does not 

 feel that his plea needs to be insisted upon, for the yoiuig man 

 has his full share of the widespread French aptitude for grace- 

 ful literary expression ; and, of course, one can trust his facts 

 as implicitly as though his father's name stood on the title- 

 page instead of his own. 



The book is intended as a guide for the amateur horticul- 

 turist, and, consequently, the greater portion of it consists of 

 descriptions of plants adapted for ornamental use in the gar- 

 dens and greenhouses of France. These are grouped as " An- 

 nuals," "Biennials," "Perennials," "Bulbous Plants," " Hot- 

 house Plants" (with a special treatise on Orchids), "Trees 

 and Shrubs," " Flowers of the South," "Flowers and Grasses 

 to be dried for Winter Bouquets," and " Foliag'e and Orna- 

 mental Greens." Each division is full enough to satisfy the 

 needs of the most enterprising amateur; the plants named in 

 it are chosen with knowledge and taste ; simple notes as re- 

 gards their culture are appended, and excellent little illustra- 

 tions explain their aspect. Many hints may be gathered by 

 American horticulturists from these pages, although, of course, 

 their indications are not always adapted to our very different 

 climatic conditions, and he will miss certain plants which, 

 favorites here, are less generally known in Europe. 



But the most interesting part of Monsieur de Vilmorin's 

 book for transatlantic readers is that which treats, in a general 

 way, of the Ifowers of Paris — what they are at successive sea- 

 sons of the year, where and how they are produced, and in 

 what manners they are sold. It is in northern countries, as 

 the author explains, that the trade in cut flowers and plants is 

 regularly organized, and assumes the proportions of a national 

 industry. In southern lands flowers grow everywhere at all 

 seasons of the year, and, of course, are everywhere offered 

 for sale. But the traffic in them has not been obliged to regu- 

 late itself as has such traffic in regions vvliere frost and snow 

 prevail during many months of the year. The greatest flower- 

 markets, therefore, are those of Paris and London ; but only 

 in recent years has Covent Garden fiower-market grown to an 

 importance at all comparable to that of the chief Parisian mar- 

 ket, while in Paris the trade lias so largely developed of late 

 as to necessitate the establishinent of a number of smaller 

 markets. In America, on the other hand, says the author, 

 although flowers are used in winter as profusely as anywhere 



in the world, "people have hardly the time to frequent flower- 

 markets. They want the connnodity brought to their doors. 

 So the large towns are abundantly sup|)lied with liower-shops, 

 which often extend themselves largely over the sidewalks." 



Monsieur de Vilmorin's description of the great market at 

 the Halles Centrales is so intei'esting, and will doubtless be so 

 new to the majority of our readers, that we reserve it for 

 somewhat full translation at another time. Meanwhile, how- 

 ever, we can note his enmneration of the chief llowers sold in 

 Parisian markets and streets at the different seasons of the year. 



" In the fine days of spring," he says, " before Paris begins 

 to empty itself, the markets are in their full splendor, . . . and 

 purchasers are simply embarrassed to choose between flow- 

 ering lnUf>s, early Roses, Ueut/.ias — the favorite ornament of 

 the month of May — the first Pinks, Chinese Primroses, Cinera- 

 rias, which have not yet gone out of bloom, innumerable Gilly- 

 flowers, Forget-me-nots, Indian Azaleas, which are at the 

 height of their season. Gardenias, and a hundred other varied 

 plants. At the same time armfuls of Lilacs, Mignonette and 

 Narcissus attract attention by their perfume, and great baskets 

 of growing Pansies, double Daisies, Anemones and Ranunculi 

 offer themselves for the decoration of little city gardens and 

 window-boxes. In the middle of sunmier China Asters rule, 

 with Pinks of every shade. Gladioli, now so prodigiously va- 

 ried in color, Agapanthus, Gauras like white butterflies. Ama- 

 ranths of every form, Chinese Perillas with dark brown foliage, 

 Lillies (Lilium speciosum) in their red and white varieties, 

 golden Lilies of Japan with their powerful odor, Tuberoses as 

 strongly scented, Plumbago Capensis of tender blue, Mada- 

 gascar Periwinkles, and the Gypsophyla and Stevia, which give 

 lightness to bouquets. Then, piled in baskets, are Mimulas, 

 Verbenas, Balsams, Ageratums, Lobelias, Nemophilas and all 

 the charming annual flowers of the open ground. The autumn 

 is now wholly given over to Chrysanthemums. . . . Neverthe- 

 less, after them may still be seen Asters, Laurustinus, Christ- 

 mas Roses, and soon Pei-sian Cyclamens, which begin the 

 series of winter-blooming hot-house plants. Toward Christ- 

 mas the winter-foliage decorations begin to appear — Mahonias 

 bronzed by the cold, Hollies with their pretty red berries, the 

 spuiy Butcher's Broom, tufts of Mistletoe bearing their viscous 

 fruits, and, coming from the south, sprays of the Japanese 

 Spindle-tree and the American Pepper-box (Schinus moUe) 

 with its clusters of pink berries." 



We know of no book of just this character which has been 

 prepared in this country. But we think that one similarly 

 moderate in size and price and popular in form, which should 

 describe the traffic in flowers and plants that goes on in New 

 York, the places where they are grown and the manner of 

 their cultivation, and should give sensible lists of such plants 

 as are best suited for amateur cultivation, might find a wide 

 public of interested readers. At present, American amateurs 

 have to depend upon the information contained .in horticul- 

 tural journals, where, of course, they may not always be able 

 to put their finger upon such items as are most wanted at the 

 moment ; and upon trade catalogues, in which, very naturally, 

 everything is named, everything is equally recommended, and 

 a very undesirable degree of stress is laid upon novelties. 

 The materials from which the American amateur may choose 

 are even richer than tliose that lie ready to the hand of the 

 European amateur; and his need of sucli guidance as is sup- 

 plied by a book like Monsieur de Vilmorin's is greater than 

 the European amateur's need in exactly the same proportion. 

 To choose his materials is the first and most important step 

 which he has to take ; and, at present, it is perhaps the most 

 difficult of all steps to take with wisdom. 



Notes. 



Mrs. Katherine Brandegee recently printed in ^06' a " Cata- 

 logue of the Flowering Plants and Ferns growing- spontane- 

 ously in the city of San Francisco," which names 485 species, 

 citing their localities. Notes of an instructive sort are 

 added, and also a list of local Mosses, collected chiefly by 

 Mr. H. W. Bolander. 



Owing to the lateness of the season, the annual Rhododen- 

 dron show of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society has been 

 postponed until Friday and Saturday, June loth and nth. A 

 special prize for fifty trusses of not less than fifty varieties, of- 

 fered by Mr. Francis Brown Hayes, will be competed for at 

 this time. On Saturday, August 6th, a silver vase valued at 

 twenty-five dollars will be awarded for the best display of 

 Sweet Peas. This is one of the prospective prizes of the so- 

 ciety, and must be taken by the same person or firm twice in 

 three consecutive years. This is the third year that the society 

 has offered this prize. 



