10 



THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 



the fermenting vegetable material being so located in 

 the orchid house as to be a source of no annoyance 

 either to visitors or to workers therein, and at the same 

 time, able to communicate its products freely to the 

 atmosphere. The material decidedly the best to employ 

 is tanner's refuse bark, with the addition of a small 

 quantity of stable manure." 



In the same vein are the remarks on " the Rest of 

 Orchids ;" and altogether we consider the book a 

 valuable contribution to the literature of Orchid culture, 

 even although it only assumes the form of a trade 

 catalogue. 



The Natural History of the Year. By the late B. B. 

 Woodward, B.A. Partridge and Co. 



This is a very charming book for young persons, well 

 written, beautifully printed, and illustrated with wood- 

 cuts characteristic of the months and seasons of the 

 year. The author, evidently a lover of Nature, is just 

 such a companion as a child would delight to have in 

 his first country walk, to help him to see, observe, and 

 enjoy the curious and wonderful objects lying in his 

 way at every step. Relating the charm of his own first 

 introduction to nature, he continues : — 



" You will smile 1 dare say when I tell you that this 

 happened on a winter's day. There was no snow on 

 the ground, but everything looked wet and cheerless ; 

 the sky was clouded, and the wind so cutting that 

 when I set out on my walk I shivered with cold. But 

 before I had gone far, I saw a small kind of grass in 

 ear, and I gathered it, wondering why it had not waited 

 till the sweet spring was come ; next I espied the pretty 

 white stars of the chickweed, and as I had never noticed 

 it before, I plucked it with as much delight as if I had 

 found a most splendid and fragrant flower ; and then I 

 saw other flowers and mosses, and berries both black 

 and red. And I listened to a lark which was singing 

 far above my head, and to the blackbirds and redbreasts 

 in the trees close beside me ; and I forgot the cold, and 

 everything except the wonder and the beauty of the 

 world which God was adorning in this way, even in the 

 depth of winter." 



And so our author takes us a monthly ramble through- 

 out the year, directing attention to the various objects 

 of interest peculiar to each. Here and there are thrown 

 in bits of what are intended as religious instruction, 

 which smack more of the theologian than of the 

 naturalist, and which we strongly suspect are from 

 another pen, as the book is said to have been revised. 

 These may be acceptable to some persons, but we con- 

 fess not to ourselves in the form in which they appear. 

 We love religion, and regard nature as its handmaid ; 

 so we also like sugar, but we should object, as would a 

 child also we think, to have lumps of undissolved sugar 

 thrown into every dish of meat or vegetables. Why 

 not let nature teach its own lesson, and make its own 

 impression ? It will do so much more effectually and 

 naturally than any theologian. Notwithstanding this 

 slight blemish, if indeed it be one, we strongly recom- 

 mend this little book as a gift which will be highly 

 prized by every child who is fortunate enough to obtain 

 a copy. — F. L. S. 



GARDEN ECONOMICS. 



SHADING MATERIALS. 



Although not so much troubled with brilliant sun as our 

 Continental neighbours, we are yet, if we desire to keep 

 our plants in good condition, obliged to resort to some 

 sort of shading during the summer weather. The rays 

 of the sun, concentrated by glass, burn and scorch the 

 leaves, and hence this provision is necessary. Shaw's 

 Tiffany has been for a long time in use, and is doubt- 

 less a useful material, but we have found, after a three 

 years' trial, Collinge's far better. It is much stronger, 

 looks neat, and admits a sufficient degree of light, and 

 does not in any way draw the plants. We have also 

 found it useful as a protection for strawberries (for we 

 are troubled by blackbirds who, some way or other, do 

 understand that good strawberries are better eating 

 than indifferent ones), and also for small bush cherries. 

 There are, we are aware, other shading materials, but 

 we can only bear witness to the value of that which we 

 have tried. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Mr. C. Turner's Spring Catalogue of Geraniums, &c. 



Messrs. Downie, Land, and Laing's Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Florist's Flowers, &c. 



Mr. T. Ware's Catalogue of Florist's Flowers. 



We have grouped these together, as they are evidences 

 of the return to the cultivation of florist's flowers, which 

 the rage for other things had driven out of the field. 

 Mr. Turner has long been known as our chief cultivator 

 of pinks, carnations, picotees, auriculas, &c, and his 

 present catalogue is very comprehensive. — Messrs. 

 Downie and Co. have always maintained a high reputa- 

 tion for pansies, phloxes, pentstemons, &c, and in 

 their various classes we perceive several additions to 

 their already rich collection. — Mr. Ware has greatly 

 contributed to the revival of a taste for alpine and 

 herbaceous plants in the neighbourhood of the metro- 

 polis, and we are glad to hail him as another worker in 

 reviving the taste for our long neglected favourites. 



Mr. B. S. Williams' Catalogue of Plants for 1872. 

 — This complete list commences with a list of the 

 novelties introduced by him, such as Echimsea Mariae 

 Reginse, Viola cornuta magnificent, &c., and is illus- 

 trated with some characteristic woodcuts of ferns, 

 orchids, &c. 



We are requested to notify that the Manchester 

 National Show will be held on May 17th and follow- 

 ing days, and that the Metropolitan Floral Society's 

 Autumn Show (with which will be combined an 

 International Floral Show), will take place at the 

 Crystal Palace on Wednesday and Thursday, August 

 28th and 29 th. 



