BOOK REVIEWS. 37! 



may note the author's treatment of one genus, say Gentiana. About 

 one hundred and fifty named species or forms are included. Arranged 

 in alphabetical order, it is easy to turn to the one needed. An intro- 

 ductory note wittily describes the difficulties of cultivating most of the 

 species. To quote : — " Perhaps Gentiana offers the rock-garden more 

 glory than any other race, or more persistently denies it." ..." There 

 is no jesting with a gentian, except, indeed, when the gentian does 

 the jesting — grows ample and splendid and hearty, only to gratify you 

 at the end with dingy little flowers and a mass of foliage, so ill-pleasing 

 that you feel indeed more mocked by such a success than if the plant 

 had followed the example of its beautiful cousins and wholly refused 

 to grow." Then follows an excellent description of the construction 

 of an ideal gentian bed, and advice as to companion plants suitable 

 for the various groups of the family. " Company the plant must 

 have, for even the High-Alpine species . . . are grateful in the 

 garden for a little fine society to distract them from their thoughts of 

 home." Covering with glass in winter is recommended to ensure 

 " a cent, per cent, return next season in the way of flower." As a 

 means to effect this, it is revealed that the " enthusiastic have been 

 known to subsist on glass-potted tongues and shrimps in order that 

 the receptacles of these delicacies should afford a sufficient number 

 of roofs to shelter all their gentians in winter." 



Under G. acaulis we find, for the first time in one book, a clear 

 statement of the various distinct species that have long been confused 

 under that name by various authors. Italics point out the salient 

 characteristics by which each may be readily recognized from its 

 most similar relation. The fine old plant of our gardens, which is 

 unknown as a wild plant of the hills, stands as G. gentianella. G. 

 latifolia includes the many names given to the commonest and dullest 

 of the large acaulis forms of the Alps, and G. vulgaris the more beau- 

 tiful form of the limestone heights. 



The author's researches lead him to adopt the name G. aesliva 

 for that major cousin of G. verna we have hitherto been content to 

 call G. angulosa. Some species are appraised highly — thus G. bar- 

 bellata is " a rare species of Colorado for a choice place in the choice 

 bed." Kurroo has " magnificent great flowers, widely gaping cups of 

 pure rich blue . . . flecked with interior pallors and altogether lovely." 

 On the other hand, G. Burseri is "a leafy, tall, yellowy-brown ugliness," 

 and dahurica a " coarse and worthless leafy cluster-head of dowdy 

 bloom and overwhelming leafage." Species from New Zealand, such 

 as G. divisa, corymbi flora, and lineala, are included alongside such 

 newly introduced Chinese species as the glorious turquoise-blue G. 

 Farreri, hexaphylla, trifolia, Purdomii and others, so new as to find 

 mention in the Appendix, rendered necessary by the author's travels 

 in China since the main part of the book was written. 



In these two large volumes, then, we find a compendious, com- 

 prehensive and up-to-date guide to the plants that are rightly or 

 doubtfully classed as subjects for the rock-garden. Many not yet 



