256 THE FLORIST AND 



The Flore des Serres et des Jar dins de V Europe. It is of the great- 

 est importance to the botanist and to cultivators generally that new plants 

 should be figured, as without the plant itself or a figure no idea can be 

 formed from a description. In Europe there are several works which produce 

 representations of the new plants which flower there. Curtis's Magazine, and 

 Paxton's Magazine of Botany keep us well informed of the varieties of 

 Kew and other English gardens — Turner's Florist presents us with the best 

 hybrids of several favorite genera — the figures of Vilmorin, Mielliez and 

 others in Paris do the same in that quarter. In Ghent M. Louis Van 

 Houtte, the celebrated Belgian Horticulturist publishes his Flore des Serres 

 — a monthly containing eight or nine plates of the rarest plants either of 

 recent introduction or of hybrids raised in England or the continent. The 

 execution of these plates is very much superior to those of any other maga- 

 zine we have seen, our readers can see specimens in our own plates which 

 were procured from the same establishment. We are often gratified at 

 seeing figured most beautifully some of the beautiful inhabitants of our own 

 forest and swamps which in Europe are considered of some' worth. In the' 

 last volume we found a plate of Pyxidanthera barbulata, which may be had' 

 here in the spring, at the corner of Market and Eighth streets, nicely done 

 up in a rag, for sixpence, yet the sending of that little plant is thus an- 

 nounced. "This is a plant which a rare good fortune has enabled Sir Wm. 

 Hooker to publish the excellent figure here reproduced. Specimens gathered 

 in the pine barrens of New Jersey by "M. Evant of Radnor, (Delaware)," 

 arrived last May in Kew gardens, as fresh, and as well flowered as if 

 they had just been gathered. Still another feat of that great magician 

 steam, still another service of that ingenious system of portable glasses 

 which is called the Wardian system !" Gur friend of Delaware County has 

 thus performed a service to the botanists of the other side, which he 

 did not anticipate when he boxed up the little Diapensia in a Wardian 

 case. The contributors to this work are among the most Celebrated 

 botanists; besides the Editor Dr. Planchon, we have the names of Blume, 

 Brogniart, De Caisne, De Candolle and others. Mr. G. G. Sheppard of 

 New York is Agent for the work in the United States. 



Eratum.— The eight pages of signature 30 in this number are wrongly 

 numbered. 



