650 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



its perusal. The one exception mentioned above is a, rather amusing 

 Kiphngesque poem by M. Solomon on ** the conservation of matter." 



The present edition is almost similar to the first, but contains a 

 new introduction ** containing an interesting retrospect of educa- 

 tional work during the past twenty-five years and two new essays. 



In the third volume we have scientific method applied to the 

 teaching of Botany. Though the title is the same, the book differs 

 widely from the former edition, but its whole spirit is the same. The 

 book is described by the author as a ** book of ideals." And it is true 

 the author sets up a high standard, but it is such a one as all teachers 

 of botany by the scientific method would wish to aim at. But he also 

 claims that it is " a practical book." And indeed it is, for methods 

 find much place in it. It is a book every teacher of botany should 

 read. It is intended for the teacher of botany as an organized subject 

 of instruction, and not for the teacher of ** Nature Study, " and as such 

 it is admirable. 



The Flowers and Gardens of Madeira." Painted by Ella Dn 

 Cane, described by Florence Du Cane. Sm. 4to., 160 pp. (Black, 

 London, 1909.) 7s. 6d. net. 



Prefaces to books on gardening generally begin nowadays with an 

 apology "for adding yet another to the long list," kc, &c. Eeviewers 

 of these books almost invariably fall into line by referring to the recent 

 mass of garden literature. 



And no wonder. Such a mass! But it is not all literature, and 

 when it is Hterature it is seldom gardening. In their * ' Flowers and 

 Gardens of Japan," the Misses Du Cane gave us garden painting and 

 garden literature at their very best. It was a beautiful and intensely 

 interesting book. The subject was at once difficult and easy, for the 

 gardens of Japan must be full of those subtleties which most appeal 

 to the artist, and are most difficult to capture, and Japanese garden-lore 

 is a wide and complicated subject. 



The Flowers and Gardens of Japan " was an excellent and a 

 judicious book, neither tome nor mere chat and pretty pictures, and 

 the Same may be said of " The Flowers and Gardens of Madeira." 

 The illustrations are extraordinarily good. The reproduction of the 

 water-colour drawings is not quite so perfect as in the Japanese book, 

 but still, tjiough they have of necessity fallen far short of the originals, 

 they stand high among illustrations of this class. If only one could 

 forget the originals, the reproductions would score more heavily. As 

 it is, they recall very vividly the scents and colour, the gorgeous masses 

 of flower and foliage, the white walls, blue sea, brilliant sunshine — in 

 fact, the whole thrilling atmosphere of the lovely island. Madeira 

 gardens have not the strong characteristics of the gardens of Japan. 

 In the smaller town gardens, plants in pots play a large part. The 

 possibilities of this side of gardening are delightfully shown in the two 

 illustrations, *' Azaleas in a Portuguese Garden " and ** Azaleas, 

 Quinta Ilheros." The grouping is charming, and these two illuatra- 



