20 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
Books and Current Literature. 
A Woman’s Hardy Garden; by He- 
lena Rutherford Ely; The Macmillan 
Company, New York, 1903; price, $1.75 
net : 
This well-printed, well-illustrated and 
prettily bound book on the hardy garden 
was written for the many who want to 
satisfy that “love of flowers and all 
things green and growing’’ which the 
author characterizes as a sort of primal 
instinct. She takes the reader frankly 
into her confidence and confesses in her 
introduction that this is her first book. 
The secrets of the hardy flowering 
plants and shrubs, revealed in its pages 
have, however, been gained through 
many years of experience in the auth- 
or's own hardy garden, which furnishes 
material for the 48 handsome half-tone 
illustrations. The writing of this vol- 
ume was the result of many inquiries 
from friends concerning when and 
how, and what to plant, and the sim- 
plicity and directness with which these 
questions are answered constitute the 
chief charm of the book. Beginners in 
gardening will find inspiration in the 
wholesome love for the natural, and 
practical help in such chapters as : How 
to Plant a Small Plot ; Laying Out a 
Garden and Borders Around a House. 
The other chapters are : Hardy Garden- 
ing and Preparation of the Soil ; The 
Seed Bed ; Planting ; Annuals ; Peren- 
nials ; Biennials and a few Bedding Out 
Plants ; Roses ; Lilies ; Spring-flowering 
Bulbs; Shrubs; Water, Walks, Lawns, 
Box-edgings, Sun Dial and Pergola ; 
Insecticides, Tool-room, Conclusion. 
Home Floriculture; a practical guide 
to the treatment of flowering and other 
ornamental plants in the house and gar- 
den, by Eben E. Rexford ; Orange Judd 
Company, New York, 1903; price, $1.00: 
This book is somewhat similar in aim 
to the preceding one and is in many 
ways well-adapted to supplement it. Mr. 
Rexford tells how to grow the flowers, 
Mrs. Ely how to use them in the garden. 
The author says in his preface : “It 
has been written because there is an in- 
creasing demand for a work that treats 
on flowers from the standpoint of the 
amateur. * * * What is wanted is plain, 
practical, easily understood information, 
which will enable those who love 
flowers, but know very little about them, 
to grow them successfully. This book 
is simply intended to assist the ama- 
teur in the acquirement of such knowl- 
edge as can only come from intelligent 
personal study and observation which 
will lead to a better acquaintance and a 
closer friendship with our friends, the 
flowers.” The book comprises a mass 
Of compact, useful information on . the 
growing and care of all the well-known 
flowers and ornamental plants with es- 
pecial reference to their use in home 
decoration. Its 51 chapters treat in 
brief, readable style of such topics as 
care of plants in the window ; the prop- 
agation of plants ; insects and how to 
fight them ; winter precautions ; appli- 
ances for the amateur’s use; the best 
annuals ; hardy border plants ; spring 
flowering bulbs ; shrubs and how to 
plant them ; rockeries, etc. The book 
comprises 300 pages, with 72 illustra- 
tions, showing many familiar plants and 
decorative effects in their use. 
Report of the Forester, by Gifford 
Pinchot ; U. S. Department of Agri- 
culture, Washington, D. C. : This report 
gives a brief account of the work of 
the former Division of Forestry during 
its first year as a Bureau. The report 
states that a larger proportion of edu- 
cated foresters than ever before was en- 
gaged in the work, but that the progress 
of public interest in forestry has far 
more than kept pace with the growth of 
the Bureau. The preparation of work- 
ing plans for the National Forest Re- 
serves, now numbering 58,850,925 acres, 
was continued throughout the year, and 
field work was done on five reserves. 
During the year the Secretary of War 
has requested working plans for eight 
military wood and timber reservations 
with a total area of 117,468 acres, and 
applications have been received from 
private owners for assistance in forestry 
work on a total of 4.709,120 acres. The 
total area of private forests under con- 
servative management, however, reached 
only 372,463 acres or 7.9 per cent, of the 
total applications. The Bureau has thus 
been obliged, for lack of men and 
money, to neglect or defer over 90 
per cent, of the opportunities to intro- 
duce practical forestry on private lands. 
Measurements and studies of 20 species 
of trees were gathered in various parts 
of the country. A special investigation 
of the big trees of California was be- 
gun and is still in progress and a pre- 
liminary study of the swamp forests of 
eastern Missouri and Arkansas was 
undertaken. The forests of Nebraska 
were made the subject of an elaborate 
report, and at the request of the Michi- 
gan forest commission, an investigation 
of lands in the southern peninsula of 
that state with special reference to the 
proper management of the Michigan 
Forest Reserve. The field work neces- 
sary for detailed working plans for the 
seven tracts with a total area of 421,000 
acres, was completed. The work out- 
lined for the present year includes : 
preparations for extensive planting on 
Nebraska forest reserves; examinations 
of reserves in Oklahoma, Colorado, 
Arizona, and California; and the recla- 
mation of sand dunes, for which field 
parties will conduct investigations on 
the Atlantic coast and the Columbia 
river. 
Transactions of the Illinois State 
Horticultural Society for the year 1902; 
edited by Secretary L. R. Bryant, 
Princeton, 111 . : This report comprises 
an illustrated volume of 526 pages, giv- 
ing the proceedings of the 47th annual 
meeting held at Champaign in Decem- 
ber, and also proceedings of the north- 
ern, central, and southern district socie- 
ties and a number of county societies. 
The meetings were well attended, and 
many valuable papers and discussions 
are included in the book, among which 
are the following : Parks and Public 
Grounds for Villages and Country 
towns (illustrated), by O. C. Simonds, 
of Chicago; Wild Flowers for Home 
Decoration, by Mrs. E. B. Freeman; 
Trimming of Trees, by Arthur Bryant, 
Princeton ; Evergreens and Shrubs for 
Lawn and Garden, by G. J. Foster; The 
Window Garden, by A. C. Beal, of the 
University of Illinois ; Street and Orna- 
mental Trees, by Dr. T. J. Burrill, Uni- 
versity of Illinois; The San Jose and 
Other Scale Insects, by S. A. Forbes, 
State Entomologist. The book is sent 
free by the Secretary to all members 
and to public and school libraries on 
receipt of 15 cents to cover postage. 
•Annual Report of the Park Commis- 
sioners of Taunton, Mass., for the year 
ending November 30, 1902: A neatly- 
printed report of seventeen pages, giv- 
ing an account of the work done dur- 
ing the year and complete financial 
statements. 
Report of the Commissioners of the 
Israel Putnam Memorial Camp Ground 
to the Governor of Connecticut for 
the 15 months ending September 30, 
1902 : An illustrated report giving an 
historical account of this memorial camp 
ground at Redding, Conn., and all docu- 
ments and acts passed by the Legisla- 
ture relating to its organization and 
government. The reports of the super- 
intendent, secretary, and treasurer are 
attached, which show that considerable 
improvement work has been accomp- 
lished during the year at an expenditure 
of $2,013.33. Copies of this report can 
