596 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" The Practical Garden-Book/' By C. E. Horn and L. H. Bailey. 

 8vo. 250 pp. 8th edition. (Macmillan, London and New York, 

 1913.) 2S. net. 



Though written for American readers chiefly, this is a most valuable 

 book to all gardeners, as it deals with subjects usually overlooked, 

 viz. " common things and simple garden operations, which most 

 books take for granted," As the matter is in alphabetical order, there 

 is no index. 



" Sweet Peas for Profit." By J. Harrison Dick. (A. T. De La 

 Mare Publishing Co., New York, 1914.) $1.50. 



Mr. Harrison Dick was editor of the " Journal of Horticulture " 

 until a few years ago, when he went to New York to edit " The Florists' 

 Exchange." He has produced in his new surroundings a most 

 interesting book on Sweet Peas for profit. The sub-title is " A 

 practical guide to modern methods of growing the Sweet Pea for 

 market purposes." Naturally, the greater portion of the book is 

 devoted to cultivation under glass, which is now of so much impor- 

 tance in the United States that Sweet Peas rank third in importance 

 in most districts with florists, following Roses and Carnations. 



Cost of growing, market returns, and profits are systematically 

 dealt with, and there is a very practical chapter on house-construction 

 and heating. Cultural details are very fully given — soil preparation, 

 sowing, temperature, ventilation, watering, and feeding are all treated 

 in a plain and workmanlike fashion. 



When the writer comes to gathering the blooms we disagree. He 

 advises pulling with a sharp upward pull, instead of cutting with 

 either knife or scissors. We have tried the former, but never with 

 success. 



There is a chapter on raising new varieties, and one explaining 

 the best English methods of culture in the open air. 



The work is well printed and very well illustrated. We are in 

 hearty agreement with the writer when he expresses the opinion 

 that the Spencer forms have entirely eclipsed the old forms for garden 

 culture, and will presently eclipse them for under-glass work also. 

 It is interesting to note that Australia has recently come into the 

 field as a raiser of early or winter-blooming Sweet Peas, and 

 that one variety, " Yarrawa," has already made a great name for 

 itself. 



One comes across many trite sayings. Here are two : " Growers 

 who send flowers of inferior grade to market are doing themselves, 

 the Sweet Pea, the salesman and the public combined an injustice." 

 — '* One sincerely hopes that raisers of new kinds will not perpetuate 

 scentless varieties." 



The book is advertised at i dollar 50 cents, post free, which is 

 much higher in price than a similar work would sell for in England. 



