402 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It must surely be too well known and appreciated to need further 

 praise and description. Its price is 15s. 



Nicholson's " Dictionary of Gardening," in four volumes and a supple- 

 mentary volume, is the next step and has not yet been superseded. 

 If only the contents of the Supplement and the supplementary volume 

 pubhshed in 1901 were incorporated with the whole work brought 

 up to date, it would be as perfect as any work could be, in fact what 

 its title-page claims for it, "a practical and scientific Encyclopaedia 

 of Horticulture." Its plan is excellent. Each generic name is 

 followed by an explanation of its derivation where known; thus, 

 " Anomatheca, from anomos, singular, snidtheca, a capsule or seedpod" ; 

 " Apocynum, from apo, away, and kyon, a dog — adopted by Dioscorides 

 because the plant was supposed to be poisonous to dogs " ; " Bartonia, 

 in honour of Benjamin S. Barton, M.D., formerly Professor of Botany 

 at Philadelphia." Arum is an instance of uncertain origin formerly 

 Avon, probably of Egyptian extraction"). 



Next is given the natural order according to Bentham and Hooker's 

 arrangement, followed by a description of the genus and general outlines 

 for the cultivation of its species. Then a list of the introduced species, 

 the Latin name of each being followed by an English translation, so 

 that in this work we have an explanation of every Latin name. A 

 clear and full botanical description of the plant comes next, and then 

 mention of its native country, date of introduction, synonyms if 

 any, any special cultural instructions should the species dealt with 

 require different treatment from that advocated for the genus as a 

 whole ; and then, last of all, if it has been figured in any important 

 work, a reference is given to the figure. Vegetables and fruits are 

 dealt with verj/ fully as well as flowers, garden insects, implements, 

 and botanical terms, so that an ignorant amateur gardener should 

 not exist providing he has money to buy and time to stud}^ Nicholson's 

 " Dictionary of Gardening." The illustrations are plentiful and 

 excellent, especially the smaller ones, which are most beautifully drawn 

 and finely engraved on wood, and very superior to the larger ones. 



There is a very good Pronouncing Dictionary in the supplement 

 to Vol. IV., and also a wonderfully full list of herbaceous plants for 

 special purposes, another of colours of flowers, and others for flowering 

 periods, heights, bulbs, orchids, palms, bamboos, &c. ; of trees and 

 shrubs for special situations, of animals, beneficial or injurious, and 

 of synonyms. 



Unfortunately it is out of print, even the supplement, and the 

 price of copies of the last and best edition is rising rapidly. 



There is a French edition, translated and adapted for France by 

 Monsieur S. Mottet. Canon Ellacombe uses this edition and declares 

 it to be the best. I do not know whether it is still procurable. 



A new edition of Thompson's Gardeners' Assistant " by W. 

 Watson, whose name alone insures the thoroughness of the work, 

 was published in 1902. 



It covers the whole ground of gardening, is simple and practical 



