856 Foreign Trees and Plants [July, 



a tree-like character ; or the Berheris aquifolium, which, with its 

 glossy leaves and very early flowers, is so deservedly a favourite in 

 every shrubbery ? In the enumeration of winter-flowering plants 

 we miss also the beautiful Forsythia, and several others which might 

 have been mentioned. An exceedingly useful list is that of " species 

 which thrive in the smoke of cities," in which Mr. Mongredien names 

 the horse-chestnut, Ailantus glandulosa, Virginian creeper, almond, 

 Artemisia abrotanum, Aucuba, Catalpa, Cydonia japonica, labur- 

 num, fig, ivy, Cape jasmine, privet, Faulownia imperialis,Phillyrea 

 media, plane, evergreen oak, Bhamnus Alaternus, sumach, flowering 

 currant, Bobinia pseudacacia (commonly called the acacia), Sophora 

 japonica, and guelder rose ; a very useful list to cultivators of 

 suburban gardens, but again very incomplete. In London gardens 

 the lilac is everywhere the companion of the laburnum ; magni- 

 ficent hawthorn-trees could be shown within two miles of ChariDg 

 Cross ; the roads in the suburbs are everywhere adorned in early 

 spring with the beautiful light-green foliage of the lime ; while the 

 sides of the houses are gay in the summer with the gorgeous flowers 

 of the hardy passion-flower, or the gigantic leaves of the Aristoloehia 

 Sipho ; nor should the apple, the pear, and the cherry have been 

 omitted, if it is only for the wealth of their flowers. It is worthy 

 of remark that the smoke of an ordinary town is not nearly so de- 

 structive to vegetation as that poured forth from the chimneys of 

 manufactories or chemical works. Flowers will be found to thrive 

 in gardens in the very heart of London, which many a Lancashire 

 gentleman would give almost any money to establish even in his 

 greenhouses. Notwithstanding the deficiencies we have named, 

 ' The Planter's Guide ' is a book that should be in the hands of 

 every one interested in the subject ; and we hope it may be the 

 means of attracting attention to the great value and importance of 

 ornamental planting in improving the character of our lawns, 

 shrubberies, and parks. 



If we now turn from trees and shrubs to herbaceous plants, we 

 enter on a still wider field, and one more within the reach of every 

 lover of nature. Arboriculture, after all, must always be the pur- 

 suit of those only who have both money and space at their command ; 

 floriculture may be followed by every cottager, and even by every 

 dweller in a town who has a window-sill at his disposal ; and we 

 doubt whether the latter does not derive the most pleasure from it. 

 Although many of the favourite flowers of the last two or three 

 generations will probably always hold a place in our gardens, and 

 deservedly, yet the number of species that have been introduced of 

 late years worth cultivating for their beauty, and within the reach 

 of every one who possesses a flower-pot, is very large ; and as a 

 hand-book for this class of plants, though treating only of a section 

 of them, plants especially adapted for rock-work, we can most 



