402 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
cost. Some years ago The Garden promoted a garden-planning competition 
principally for small gardens, many of which are shown in this capital book. 
It indicates what to encourage and what to avoid, thus having the whole place 
in pleasant harmony, and yet everything serving its purpose in the scheme. 
Numbers of people will be astonished at the little-grown plants of great beauty 
that can be admirably cultivated in quite small gardens, and the joy they will 
give to the owner if they get the best of everything and grow them well, the 
original cost being no greater than if inferior things were put in. The whole 
book is well got up, the illustrations are excellent, and the printing good. 
" Practical Hardy Fruit Culture." By Richard Staward. 8vo. 216 pp. 
(Strathmore Press, London. 1920,) 6s. net. 
This book contains a mass of sound information very serviceable for growers of 
hardy fruits. We do not agree with all the writer advocates ; for instance, he would 
plant apples on walls, if on Paradise stocks, at twelve feet apart ; if on the free 
stock at twelve to fifteen feet apart ; bush trees on the Paradise stock from six 
to nine feet apart ; and standard apples at twelve feet apart, which is much too 
close for even compact-growing varieties ; spreading varieties would soon be 
matted together, unless continually root-pruned to keep them in bounds. In a 
future edition these and a few other mistakes may be remedied, but, taken 
altogether, the book is well printed, nicely illustrated, and contains a great 
deal of serviceable information. There is no index. 
" Practical Amateur Gardening." By H. H. Thomas. 276 pp. 8vo. 
(Cassell, London. 1920.) 85. net. 
All Mr. Thomas puts his pen to is well done, and this work of his is not an 
exception ; in fact, we consider it one of his best books. In his preface he says he 
hopes that the " Practical Amateur Gardening " will become the guide, philo- 
sopher, and friend of amateur gardeners generally, and we think his hopes will be 
fulfilled. There is scarcely any branch of gardening that is not admirably treated 
upon, and although there is a great number of books published now on gardening 
subjects, there is ample room for this one, and we have no hesitation in recom- 
mending all who do not possess it to purchase this one, and then read, mark, 
learn, and inwardly digest it. A very good index finishes the book. 
I. " Some Familiar Wild Flowers." II. " Australian Wild Flowers." By 
A. E. Sulman. 8vo. (Angus & Robertson, Sydney [1919].) is. each net. 
Two series of excellent reproductions from photographs of Australian wild 
plants, admirably illustrating the singularity of the Australian flora and giving, 
in spite of the lack of colour, some idea of its beauty. The first contains repre- 
sentations of sixty, the second of fifty-five different plants. There is no letter- 
press. 
" Meteorology for All : being some weather problems explained." ByD. W. 
Horner. 8vo. xvi + i84pp. (Witherby, London, 1 919.) 
" Elgie's Weather Book for the General Reader." By J. H. Elgie. 8vo. 
xii-l-251 pp. (Wireless Press, London, 1920.) 5s. net. 
The first of these books is largely concerned with descriptions of meteorological 
instruments and their use, the second with the popular explanation of various 
weather phenomena, and both with the desire to put before the general reader 
an account of the methods by which weather forecasts are arrived at and the 
causes of weather. Both succeed admirably in their several ways, and tell all 
that need be told until the day comes when we may bend even the forces that 
produce our weather to our will. 
"Home and Farm Food Preservation." By W. V. Cruess. 8vo. xxiv-|- 
276 pp. (Macmillan, New York, 1918.) 8s. net. 
Written for American readers and conditions, parts of this book are likely 
to prove useful to English readers. Careful and explicit directions are given for 
all the processes of drying and sterilizing fruit and vegetables, but recipes for 
jam and jelly making are but cursorily dealt with. 
"The Culture of the Chrysanthemum." By W. Wells. 112 pp. (Country 
Life, London.) 2s. 6d. net. 
We question if any book on chrysanthemums has been so widely read or has 
run into so many editions as this, the latest edition being brought up to date 
(1920) by the son of the author, Mr. Harold Wells. Needless to state, it is 
