BOOKS RECEIVED. 



257 



with full directions for propagation and culture, and bestows as great 

 care on the fruit and vegetable as on the flower garden and greenhouse. 

 The type, though necessarily somewhat small, is exceedingly clear even 

 for old eyes and its pages are brightened by abundant and beautifully 

 printed illustrations. It is thoroughly practical, and its value and cheap- 

 ness should commend it widely. 



" Orchid Guide." (Sander & Co., St. Albans.) 10s. Qcl 8vo. 



A list of all the Orchids and their hybrids known to be in cultivation 

 up to January 1901. It gives the name, native country, description, 

 season of flowering of each, and the price of the majority, with a brief 

 general cultural note. It must have entailed an enormity of labour, and 

 should be welcomed by all Orchid growers and specialists. 



"The British Ga.rdener." By W. Williamson. (Methuen. & Co., 

 London.) 10s. Qd. 8vo. 



A manual of 400 pages treating of landscape gardening, plants, fruit, 

 flowers and vegetables. It contains a vast mass of information and 

 reading, and deals with the commercial aspect of the disposal of surplus 

 produce, and also with exhibiting. We are not sure whether the author 

 is quite full enough in his selections of hardy flowers ; for example, 

 under Iris germanica, he only gives six varieties, which will seem a 

 somewhat meagre allowance to anyone who is fond of these plants. Six 

 Daffodils only are mentioned, and they all of the Ajax class ; whilst the 

 whole vast family of Orchids is dismissed in ten pages, and Palms in 

 only eight. Fruit and vegetables are, however, much better treated, 

 especially the former. There is much that is useful in the book, but it is 

 not very well balanced and hardly escapes the adjective " scrappy." 



"Royal Gardens, Kew." By E. J. Wallis. (Effingham Wilson, 

 Royal Exchange, London.) 2s. Gd. 



The book consists of thirty remarkably good reproductions of photo- 

 graphs of views in the Gardens. The letterpress describing each view is 

 most commendably short and to the point, though containing all the 

 information required. 



" Gardening for Beginners." By E. T. Cook. (George Newnes, Ltd., 

 London.) 10s. 6^^?. 8vo. 



The work which Mr. Cook has proposed to himself is said in a preface 

 by Miss Jekyll to have been to produce " a truly beginner's book," " so plain 

 and easy that it does not either alarm or discourage an absolute novice." 

 Certainly this preface is altogether admirable. And when we turned to 

 the book itself the very first paragraph, which happens to be on Snap- 

 dragons, pleases us : " Striped, speckled, and bizarre " varieties " are not 

 desirable . . . avoid the Tom Thumb group ... in which all the natural 

 grace of the plant is lost." This is the sort of teaching that we like, and 

 there is abundance of such like throughout the book, together with 

 cultural details which, whilst being as good as could be given, are also 

 quite simple and easy to be followed by an absolute beginner. The book 

 treats of garden and border plants from seed and cuttings, of annuals, 



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