206 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The chapter on " Planting and Nourishing " is excellent. 



Mr. Bourne is doubtless right in saying, on p. 43, that cutting the leaves 

 impoverishes the bulbs ; it stands to reason that it must do so. We used to 

 think it did grave injury, bat we have had reason to modify our opinion some- 

 what. It chanced that we had a grand lot of some thousands of blossoms in a 

 somewhat exposed position which were wanted specially at Easter. Fearing 

 to lose them, we gathered them every one on the Wednesday evening before 

 Easter, and, as it proved, not one whit too soon, for that very night it had 

 been planned to steal them, and the thieves, coming and finding all the 

 blossoms gone, showed their spite by regularly reaping all the foliage close 

 off at the ground level ; some of it they appear to have taken away, but the 

 greater part was left lying on the beds. We expected the bulbs to be 

 much injured, but as a matter of fact in the succeeding year there was no 

 apparent difference between these beds and others which had been 

 untouched. Whilst, then, we are convinced that some injury must be 

 done by cutting too much of the foliage, we think the harm is greatly 

 overrated. 



We notice that from one end of the book to the other Mr. Bourne uses 

 the words " sorts," " kinds," and "varieties" as if they were all three 

 synonymous. A master in Israel should have avoided this, as it creates 

 confusion, and in the case of schedules courts disaster. There is no need 

 whatever for the word " sorts," and if the other two are kept strictly 

 each to its own denomination the meaning is always clear. 



If there is any mention made of that most tiresome disease which 

 manifests itself in yellow and green striped foliage and white streaks on 

 the yellow flowers, we have overlooked it. It certainly deserves the very 

 serious attention of all cultivators, as at present no probable cause or cure 

 of it has been suggested. 



When a second edition is required Mr. Bourne will take as much or as 

 little notice of such criticisms as he thinks fit ; but no other book upon the 

 subject will be needed for many a long year, as this is so thorough, so 

 excellent, and so complete. 



" The Soil." By A. D. Hall. (Murray, London.) 3s. 6d. 



This work is chiefly a compilation of the most important scientific 

 facts, known up to date, relating to the cultivation of the soil. There are 

 very many other useful books and papers dealing with this subject, but 

 this is a careful and, we think, a masterly collection of the more im- 

 portant facts in them all. For students preparing for examination in the 

 higher branches of agricultural or horticultural science it is almost, if not 

 quite, indispensable. The farmer, gardener, and market-grower will find 

 very much to interest and probably to profit him. He will see clearly 

 the reason for the many operations which have long been practised by 

 the best cultivators. To specialise, we think the excellent chapter on 

 " tillage" is likely to rightly stimulate the cultivator to renewed energy. 

 As a scientific work we cannot give it too great a meed of praise, but the 

 author errs, and in our opinion seriously, in some of the very few sug- 

 gestions he makes. Practical cultivators who have succeeded in making 

 ordinary farming &c. pay well know the value of experiment, although the 

 results are not recorded. We are perfectly certain that if the author 



