146 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
This arrival of Cassell's Practical Dic- 
tionary of Gardening has brought in an- 
other one of those books on gardening 
intensely interesting, but unreliable in 
its notes referring to the hardiness of 
outdoor vegetation for the greatest part 
of this country where horticulture has 
established itself commercially or other- 
wise and for which this book, judging 
by its publishing place, is partly in- 
tended. 
A book that takes upon itself the great 
responsibility of instructing the English 
speaking people of both America and 
Australia in the profession of gardening 
can only become valuable when giving 
the minimum temperature the different 
plants will endure and especially those 
introduced from southern or more 'cli-~ 
matically favored countries. Atmospheric 
conditions should also be considered, as 
it is a known fact that plants, and espe- 
cially coniferte. will stand more cold in 
a country favored with a moist atmos- 
phere than in one not so favored. 
It frequently happens that the prac- 
tical man encounters a customer or cli- 
ent who demands plants he has seen 
recommended in an English book of gar- 
dening and which are claimed to be 
hardy (in England), and he knows how 
difficult it is to dissuade him from buy- 
ing such stock ; but the one that comes 
tc. grief in the end is the purchaser — at 
the expense of his purse. 
Looking at this beautiful dictionary 
from the English point of view we must 
congratulate the compiler for his great 
success in being able to give to the gar- 
den friends and lovers of plant life a 
work so concise in its make up, short 
and' to the point. Written in a language 
plain and instructive, profusely illus- 
trated throughout with photographic 
views and colored plates, it must be ap- 
preciated by professional and layman 
alike. 
Nothing is more instructive to the 
gardener than photographic views of 
plants under description. “They alone 
will reveal what the pen cannot do.” 
Mr. Walter P. Wright, whose name is 
not unfamiliar to the American readers 
of garden literature, speaks the truth 
when he says in the preface, “The lan- 
guage of the dictionary has been made 
--tudiously plain. Its work is done in 
simple English, almost absolutely." Rut 
judging from the list of contributors 
one would almost feel assured that it 
could not be otherwise — very few prac- 
tical men being able to write with pro- 
lixity. Looking through its pages one 
is astonished at the possibility of de- 
scribing 6,000 genera of plants in less 
than i.ooo pages, giving cultural notes, 
soil, propagation, and in fact all the 
reader wants to know about plants, still 
leaving space for directing the use and 
care of garden tools, and a description 
of injurious insects. That this briefness 
of the work has its great merits cannot 
be doubted-. Gardeners?- as- a rule have 
but little time to look through a whole 
library trying to find the subject sought 
for. and less time to consume a thou- 
sand words to receive that intelligence 
possible in fifty. From the amateur’s 
standpoint a greater use of common 
names could have been desirable. True 
b is that the glossary affixed to the sec- 
ond volume will in some degree over- 
come any fault to be found in this direc- 
tion. 
Cassell's Practical Dictionary of Gar- 
dening enters the garden world in as 
neat and well dressed form as any book 
ever did. Printed in good type, upon 
gilt edged paper, with clean illustrations 
and good colored plates, bound in half 
leather— and this latter is very impor- 
tant, as dictionaries are in constant use 
— it recommends itself to those that 
seek for more knowledge in the great 
field of horticulture. J- J- 
Cassell’s Dictionary of Gardening; 
complete in 2 volumes; $10.00 net; Cas- 
sell & Co., Limited, New York City. 
Injuries to Shade Trees from Electric- 
ity; bulletin No. qi, Hatch Experiment 
Station of the Massachusetts Agricultur- 
al College : The increasing number 
of adverse conditions with which shade 
trees have to contend in the development 
of our cities and towns make this a 
timely study of one of the common dan- 
gers to city trees. Much damage occurs 
from wires, causing abrasions, destruc- 
tion of limbs and leaders, and burnings, 
necessitating pruning. The greatest dan- 
ger this bulletin finds is from local burn- 
ings. Rare cases have occurred where 
large shade trees have been killed by the 
direct current used in street railroads. 
A number of half-tone illustrations 
showing damage done to trees are 
shown, and the subject divided as fol- 
lows: Electrical Resistance of Trees; 
Effects of Alternating Currents; Effects 
of Direct Currents; Lightning. . 
The Diminished Flow of the Rock 
River in Wisconsin and Illinois and Its 
Relation to the Surrounding Forests, by 
G. Frederick Schwarz, Field Assistant 
Bureau of Forestry; Bulletin No. 44, Bu- 
reau of Forestry : The purpose of this in- 
vestigation is to ascertain the principal 
factors upon which the flow of the Rock 
River depends and to discover any prac- 
ticable means of increasing the flow or 
equalizing the volume of the stream. The 
study includes a consideration of the 
geology of the region, the recent fluctu- 
ations in the rainfall, the effects of the 
artificial drainage of swamps and fields, 
and the manner in which the forests in- 
fluence the water flow. Tt aims not only 
to explain the decreased water flow in 
the Rock River region, but also to throw 
light on the relation of forests to water 
supply in general. 
A Working Plan for Forest Lands in 
Hampton and Reaufort Counties, S. C.. 
by Thomas H. Sherrard, Field Assist- 
ant, Bureau of Forestry; Bulletin No. 
43, Bureau of Forestry : The tract for 
which this plan was prepared is held by 
the Okeetee Gun Club primarily as a 
game preserve, and the adequate pro- 
tection of the lands from fire is the 
salient feature of the management ad- 
vised. The territory is natural pine land 
and it is desired to adopt a plan by 
which the large amount of second 
growth pine already on the ground may 
be fostered, and the further re-seeding 
of waste lands may be effected. Illus- 
trated with half-tones and drawings. 
Two Insect Pests; bulletin 46, Mon- 
tana Agricultural Experiment Station. 
Bozeman. Mont. : A brief consideration 
of the damage done by the rosebud cur- 
culio and the poplar leaf-folding sawfly, 
and the remedies to be adopted. 
The Loco and Some Other Poisonous 
Plants in Montana ; bulletin No. 45. 
Montana Agricultural Experiment Sta- 
tion : The annual losses in Montana re- 
sulting from stock eating poisonous 
plants is estimated in this bulletin at 
$100,000. The results of three seasons of 
field work are here presented in order 
that these plants may be recognized and 
the symptoms and remedies for such poi- 
soning presented. 
