22 
AMERICAN ACRIGULTURIST. 
[January, 
rieiice ill a book, the title of which is given 
above.—Mr. H. writes pointedly, gives the 
“ tricks of the trade,” so to speak, without any 
reservation, tells his failures as well as his sue-, 
cesses, makes a book that is the best guide, 
short of actual experience, and has the rare 
merit of stopping when he has nothing more to 
sa^o To be successful 
in market gardening, 
besides the requisites 
above mentioned, there 
must be a sufficient 
capital to employ all 
the necessary working 
force, and procure the 
required amount of ma¬ 
nure and other appli¬ 
ances. Every mile from 
market lessens the pro¬ 
fits, and every mile 
nearer the market in¬ 
creases the value of the 
land. Every foot is 
made to pay, and two 
and often three erops 
are taken from the same 
ground each year. 
Thus; In spring the 
land is planted to early 
cabbages, with lettuce 
between the cabbages; 
the lettuce comes off be¬ 
fore it is in the way of 
the cabba,ges, which, 
after they have matur¬ 
ed, are follovfed by cel¬ 
ery or other late crops. 
In this way, by various 
combinations and rota¬ 
tions, the land is kept 
always at work. Though 
the leading object of 
this work is to furnish 
a hand-book on market 
garden, yet the private 
garden is not overlook¬ 
ed, and the cultivator 
“ for profit,” whether he gets it in consum¬ 
ing or marketing his produce, will find it of 
great value. One commendable feature in the 
work is, that the author, confines the lists of va¬ 
rieties to the few that he considers best; suit¬ 
able illustrations are given where needed, and 
the chapters upon frames and houses for 
forcing vegetables will meet a long felt want. 
Those who have places near towns and vil¬ 
lages will generally find it profitable to raise 
garden crops. Even if there is no regular 
market, we know from experience that a demand 
is easily made, and we have no doubt that in all 
large villages and towns, vegetables a little 
earlier or better than usual, will meet with a 
ready and remunerative sale. The raising of 
plants under glass can be made to pay in almost 
every thickly populated community,as people are 
willing to pay a good price for tomato, cabbage, 
pepper and other plants. Mr. Henderson’s work 
gives ample directions for raising these, as well 
as for wintering cabbage and other plants for 
sale, or for setting in the spring. 
plant. A striped leaved variety is also among 
the newer plants. This, by the way, is a most 
stately ornamental plant, and should be more 
common than it is. It may be kept by placing 
the roots in a cellar for the winter. Around 
New York it passes the winter safely if covered 
with a box or cask, then filled in with leaves. 
ASTILBE JAPONICA. 
A New Variety op the Pampas Grass 
{Oynerium) has been raised in the Paris Garden. 
Instead of tire silvery white panieles of the or¬ 
dinary form, it has ils flower clusters of a rich 
purple color. It will prol)ably be a long lime 
betbre this becomes generally distributed, but it 
wUl folia a marfeeii ppiitmst Iba origirml 
A Valuable Herbaceous Plant. 
{Astilbe Japonica—not Spirma Japonica.) 
Under the incorrect name of Spircect Japonica 
we have for years grown a plant that we knew 
could not be a Spircea, but neglected until last 
summer to lookup its true name. It is curious, 
as well as provoking, to see how an incorrect 
name will stick, after it once gets into the cat¬ 
alogues. A remarkable instance of this is Dicen- 
tra^ which the best of florists will call Bielytra^ 
a name that first came into use through a mis¬ 
print, and the above plant is an illustration of 
how the botanists sometimes keep a name un¬ 
settled. As many who are not botanists are 
puzzled at the way in which names are con¬ 
fused and changed, Ave will briefly state what 
happened to this. As the plant is in general ap¬ 
pearance like some Spiraeas, it Avas without 
sufficient care, called Spirma Japonica. After 
the French botanists found out it Avas not a 
Spircca., they called it Iloteia., making a new 
genus in 183G, and naming it after a Japanese 
botanist—for they have botanists, after their 
Avay, in Japan—rriamed Ho-Tci. When Hooker 
and Bentham came to overhaul genera for their 
gi’eat Avork, lbe\- found our plant did not need 
a new genus at all, but Avould fit veiy well in 
the old genus Astilbe., i)ublishcd some thirty 
years bcforcj ttud kcj'e [t will tlottblb^ss resb 
But to get back to our plant, of which our 
engraving shows some flowering stems, Avith 
their leaves, of the natural size. The radical 
leaves are like those Arliicli are represented, but 
much larger, and as they form a dense tuft of 
dark green, sliining,and handsomely cut foliage, 
the plant itself would be Avortli growing, even 
if it did not bloom. In 
June it throAVS up stems 
about 18 inches in bight, 
which bear spikes of 
very small flowers of 
the purest Avhite, and 
when these are set off 
by the unusually dark 
and somewhat fern-like 
foliage, the plant has an 
aspect of delicacy and 
neatness that is most 
pleasing. Tiie floAvers 
of the Astilbe are among 
the few of those of our 
herbaceous perennials 
that are sufficiently re¬ 
fined in their character 
to use in a bouquet, and 
for this purpose they 
are always in demand 
among florists. The 
leaves are also a ser- 
vicable green in large 
bouquets. Astilbe is per¬ 
fectly hardy, grows rap¬ 
idly, and multiplies 
readily by division of 
the clumps after flower¬ 
ing is over; it likes a 
good soil, and does 
rather better if in a par¬ 
tially shaded place. This 
is an excellent plant to 
) force for green-house 
decoration in winter, 
and it is one of the 
many forced perennial 
herbaceous plants sold 
iu our flower markets 
in spring. Though in the nurseries and in 
works on floriculture the plant is classed under 
the herbaceous Spiraeas, under its old name of 
Spircea Japonica., it does not belong in the same 
family, but to the Saxifrage Family. It is cat¬ 
alogued by the principal nurserymen at 25 cts. 
a plant. A beautiful variety, with the leaves 
elegantly veined Avith golden yellow, was sent 
from Japan by Mr. Hogg; it is yet quite scarce. 
- '■—>-»- 
Market Gardenino in Paris. —At the 
“ Great Exposition ” to be held iu Paris the 
present year, market gardening Avill be a 
prominent horticultural feature. A portion of 
the grounds is appropriated to the use, under the 
direction of a committee of the most celebrated 
market gardeners near Paris. It is proposed to 
have a model garden to illustrate all the proces¬ 
ses of cultivation emploj^ed in supplying Paris 
Avith its leyumes., or, as a Jersey-man Avould sa\q 
“garden truck.” Extensive programmes are put 
forth for displays iu other departments of hor¬ 
ticulture, but we see nothing at once so novel 
and so useful as this. 
Violets in England. —Violets are attracting 
much attention in England just now; several 
new varieties are offered, and some old and laie- 
]y neglected oims have suddenly be(ronui popular. 
We liope (?wf llorists AiU liave h Yfolet feyer, 
