400 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
sub-section of the [former, that for want of a better designation 1 
would like to call mealed Alpines, but that from the above classi¬ 
fication the term is inadmissible—a paradox ! I have some few 
seedlings with fine bright yellow eyes, mealed centres, and in 
most cases with the ground colour brown shaded to purple next 
the paste and becoming lighter towards the edge. Were such 
plants destitute of meal they would be shaded Alpines, like many 
others I have already; and were there no shading, but a heavy 
dull crimson or claret varying to a bright black with mealed 
centre, like others I grow outdoors, they would be termed, I pre¬ 
sume, “ seifs.” I send a few pips of the mealed blooms already 
referred to, which are 1]- inch in diameter and very showy, though 
only grown in pots 2^ inches in diameter and seedlings of last 
year.—W. J. M., Clonmel. 
[The flowers did not arrive in good condition.—E d.] 
REVIEWS OF BOOKS. 
The Ladies' Kfultum in Parvo Flower Garden. By Samuel 
Wood. London : Crosby Lockwood & Co. 
In a recent notice of a much-esteemed church dignitary it was 
stated as a point in his favour, and as a mark of honour, that “ he 
was not everlastingly writing books.” No such honour as this can 
be conferred on Mr. Samuel Wood, nor can we congratulate the 
publishers on the books they are distributing from his pen on 
gardening subjects. Such essays as are conveyed in outwardly 
attractive volumes with catching titles would not be admitted in 
the columns of the gardening press. Mr. Wood may be a good 
gardener, but is certainly not a competent writer. We have in 
milder terms intimated this before, but as his publishers continue 
issuing works that are the reverse of creditable additions to garden 
literature it is necessary to speak more plainly. Referring to red 
spider “ running about as if to save a house on fire,” and describ¬ 
ing thrips as “ not larger than a fly’s eye,” and the common 
Tansy “a3 one of the most splendid carpet bedding plants we 
possess,” can only provoke a smile, and incite wonder that such 
writings are printed ; and yet the author has the assurance in 
his preface to the calendar to remark that “ as a rule calendars 
are as common as weeds, and frequently not much better,” See. 
We will not refer further to this book except to remark, that al¬ 
though it contains some practical information, it is a pity Messrs. 
Crosby Lockwood & Co. did not submit the MS. to a competent 
horticultural editor for revision ; then there would not have been 
sufficient of it left to form the book. 
Epitome of Gardening. By Thomas Mooee, F.L.S., F.R.H.S. 
Edinburgh: Adam & Charles Black. 
A GLANCE at this book suffices to show that only a small por¬ 
tion of it has been written by Mr. Moore from his own knowledge 
and his own practice. Part 1 is an introductory chapter on the 
principles of horticulture by Dr. Masters, and is the most satis¬ 
factory portion of the book, worthy of being published separately 
in a cheap form. We are not able to indicate the writers of the 
remaining portion. The articles appear to have been compiled 
from various sources, some of which are acknowledged, but not 
all. For instance, our attention has been drawn to page 153, 
where the matter undoubtedly is substantially and in some strik¬ 
ing instances literally the same as that on pages 15 and 16 in 
Mr. Simpson’s book on training fruit trees that we recently 
reviewed, and there is reason to suppose that Mr. Moore has been 
indebted to the paper in which Mr. Simpson’s articles appeared 
before being issued in book form for the instructions he has given 
on the page quoted ; yet there is no intimation whatever that he 
is indebted to anybody. We have not searched for other examples 
of bookmaking in the volume, but it is quite apparent that 
nurserymen's catalogues and trade mediums have contributed to 
a considerable extent in furnishing the pages. We can scarcely 
conceive that a book of this kind is required by gardeners and 
horticulturists generally, dealing as it does in a necessarily brief 
and fragmentary manner with the rudiments of horticulture ; but 
possibly, as is stated in the preface, there may be some others to 
whom such a manual may be acceptable. There are not, we are 
constrained to say, many good judges of books on horticulture 
who will consider that this volume will add to the literary re¬ 
putation of the author and compiler; and it is a poor per¬ 
formance to have appeared in such a work as the “ Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,” from which it has been reprinted. 
Horticultural Buildings. By F. A. Fawkes. London : B. T. 
Basford, 52, High Holborn, and at this Office. 
This is a rather elaborate volume treating on the construction, 
heating, and arrangement of horticultural buildings, with re¬ 
marks on some of the principles involved in their construction. 
The author, as a member of the firm of Messrs. T. H. P. Dennis 
and Co. of Chelmsford, has had great experience in the work in 
question, and, as stated in the preface, he has “honestly endea¬ 
voured to treat the subject from an independent disinterested 
standpointand, a3 is further stated, the work has been prepared 
because “ up to the present date no book has existed from which 
a gentleman could obtain, in a complete concise form, unbiassed 
reliable information to assist him in deciding what garden struc¬ 
tures would best suit his requirements; in which an architect 
could see just those constructional and mechanical points which 
should be decided by the horticulturist, and in which a gardener 
could find details beyond his province, but with which he should 
certainly be acquainted.” Beyond question there is much m this 
volume that gardeners and all interested in the erection of horti¬ 
cultural buildings should be acquainted with, and it will prove 
a useful work of reference. The text is elucidated by numerous 
illustrations. 
PORTRAITS OF NEW AND NOTABLE PLANTS. 
Rosa microphylla. ( Bot. 3Iag., t. 6548.)— The single or typical 
form of this old Rose is very well depicted in this plate, with repre¬ 
sentations of the distinct fruit which is said not to have been figured 
before. “ All we know of its early history is that it was introduced 
from Canton into the Calcutta Botanic Gardens by Dr. D. Roxburgh, 
from whence it has been diffused into Indian gardens generally. . . 
In its double form Rosa microphylla is commonly cultivated through¬ 
out China and Japan, and even in Upper Burma, Dr. Anderson having 
found it in Momgen. The fruit, which is as large as a Crab Apple, is 
eaten by the Japanese.” 
Aster gymnocephalus. (Ibid., t. 6549.) —A pretty species of 
Aster from Mexico, with neatly formed bright rosy purple heads of 
flowers. The upper leaves are small, about an inch long, and have a 
deeply toothed or bristly margin ; the lower leaves are 6 inches or 
more in length, with a distantly toothed margin. Professor Asa Gray 
states, in his description of the plant, that “ This appears to be a 
common species throughout the northern and central parts of Mexico, 
and it occurs in almost all collections made in that region. It is here 
for the first time brought into cultivation from seeds collected in 
1878 by Drs. Parry and Palmer in the vicinity of San Luis Potosi. 
It is a fine acquisition to the gardens, and its rosy purple rays dis¬ 
tinguish it from all its near relatives.” The plant is comparatively 
dwarf, as it only attains a height of 1 to 2 feet, and well deserves a 
place in a collection of hardy plants. 
Impatiens amphorata. (Ibid., t. 6550.) —An annual Himalayan 
Balsam, attaining the height of 3 to 6 feet, and described as one of 
the handsomest species of that section. “ It was introduced into 
Kew by seed from Kashmir, and flowers annually abundantly in the 
months of August and September. It was in cultivation forty years 
ago in the Horticultural Gardens, having been sent from the gardens 
of Saharunpore in North-west India, when these were under the 
superintendence of Dr. Royle.” 
Cladrastis amurensis. (Ibid., t. 6551.) —An East Asian repre¬ 
sentative of the American Cladrastis virginica (Yirgilia lutea). It 
is a tree reaching the height of 40 feet, bearing pinnate leaves and 
long dense racemes of whitish flowers. Being quite hardy it is a 
decidedly useful addition to the shrubbery, and at Kew it produces 
its flowers freely in August. The specimens in that garden were 
contributed by M. Yan Yolxem of Brussels. 
Aquilegia FORMOSA. (Ibid., t. 6552.) —A very beautiful species 
of Columbine, nearly related to Aquilegia canadensis, with red and 
yellow flowers. The sepals have a bright yellow central band and 
bright red margins, the petals being yellow at the upper portion, 
and having very dark rich red spurs. Flowers of a yellow Aquilegia 
are also shown in the plate ; the A. flavescens of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains considered by Sir Joseph Hooker to be merely a variety of A. 
formosa. 
Liberian Coffee. — Mr. Morris, the. Director of Public 
Gardens and Plantations in Jamaica, has recently issued a 
pamphlet entitled “ Notes on Liberian Coffee, its History and 
Cultivation.” In this pamphlet Mr. Morris has brought together 
a great deal of valuable matter connected with this remarkable 
species of Coffea, which will prove not only interesting to those 
who wish to see the resources of our colonies developed, but 
particularly to those about to embark in the cultivation of Coffee 
as an article of commerce. The pamphlet commences with some 
historical remarks on the species, and then touches on its intro¬ 
duction into Jamaica, followed by a consideration of the plant 
as found in Liberia, in the West and East Indies, of its propaga¬ 
tion and the establishing of plantations with regard to climate, 
soil, and various other details ; some interesting notes follow on 
the yield of Liberian Coffee trees, and of the commercial value 
of the coffee itself. In view of this pamphlet being of consider¬ 
able use to persons abroad who may be about to embark in the 
