ing his patriotism and making him a better citizen." The 
short biographical sketch of Downing, by George William 
Curtis, Avho was an intimate friend, gives a graphic and 
charming picture of the man, quite in accord Avith the 
principles of the paragraph quoted above. 
It is greatly to be regretted that the book has been 
illustrated profusely with modern photographs, in themselves 
inartistic and of the standard of a seed catalogue — -and, which 
do a real violence to the sensibilities of the reader by their 
absolute incongruity with the elegance and distinction of the 
text. 
E. H. 
Dr. N. L. Britton has ^^enerously written the following review of Mr. 
Praeger's long and careful study of the Genus Sedum. Dr. Britton has 
grown and monographed the Amei'ican species^ which includes the 
numerous ones of Mexico. The editor of this department is delighted to 
be able to present such a valuable review of such a difficult subject. 
An Account of the Genus Sedum as Found in Cultivation. 
By R. Lloyd Praeger (Journal of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, May, 1921). 
Botanists and horticulturists will join in praise and appre- 
ciation of Mr. Praeger 's valuable monograph of cultivated Stone- 
crops and in thanks to the Royal Horticultural Society for its 
publication, His investigations of these plants, grown in his o\\\\ 
garden in Dublin, and in botanical gardens in Great Britain, 
have extended over several years, and he has pursued them with 
diligence and enthusiasm. 
Introductory chapters are given to general considerations ; 
an liistorieal account of the genus, in which he estimates that the 
total number of species of Sedum at about 500 and notes that of 
these he has received and grown 151, all described and very nearly 
all illustrated in his following pages; the chapter on geographic 
distribution brings out the very wide range of the genus nearly 
throughout the northern hemisphere; that on cultivation and 
propagation is, naturally, of greatest application to the climate 
of the British Isles, where a very large proportion of the species 
are hardy; variation and sports are discussed, the rarity of 
hybrids is noted, and record is made of the sources of material 
from many institutions, gardens and collectors. 
Detailed descriptions and annotations of the 151 species 
studied make up the greater part of the document; these he 
divides into ten sections, the species being grouped more, appar- 
ently, for convenience of description, than from considerations 
of natural affinities, although in some instances these are brought 
out very well. 
The flower-structure in the Stonccrop Family [Crassulaceae) 
is fascinating when one comes to know it over a great number of 
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