72 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
, [ march, 
edition has just been issued, supplied a felt want in our garden literature, and 
we are glad to find it has been successful. It is undoubtedly the best book which the amateur 
can consult who attempts what is called “ in-door gardening ”—that is to say, gardening in 
the house—for besides a facile pen which has enabled him to express himself fluently, the 
author has had a good, if not very lengthened, training in the practice of horticulture, suffi¬ 
cient to render him a safe guide; indeed, in a cursory glance through this neat little volume, 
we have not seen anything to object to; and we heartily agree with the annexed paragraph 
in the preface:—“ The pure and lasting taste for beautiful plants and flowers, if firmly im¬ 
planted in the youthful mind, almost invariably exerts its influence for good ; hence garden¬ 
ing ought to be made use of in connection with all our public schools, as an educational 
appliance of the highest possible value.” 
- Amongst the most constantly recurring wants of the gardener in the 
class of minor necessaries are Garden Sikhs and Labels^ and it may therefore be 
useful to indicate how and where this want may be supplied. Messrs. Blackith 
and Co., of Lower Thames Street, always keep on hand a good supply of both these articles, 
and from having now used them for many years, we can confidently state that they are 
both cheap and good. The sticks, which are neatly finished, vary from 1 ft. to 6 ft. in length; 
and the labels, which are well made, can be had from 4 in. long, which are suitable for small 
potted seedlings and cuttings, up to 18 in. long, which latter are intended for larger out-door 
plants. Other labels, provided with a hole for affixing them to trees, can also be had. It 
is a great saving of time and labour to purchase these articles ready made. 
- ®HE Witloof or Witteloof^ a sort of Chicory which has been used by 
the Belgians and Dutch as a salad from time immemorial, has recently been 
brought into notice in this country by Messrs. Carter and Co., who presented 
seeds for experiment at Chiswick, to the produce from which a First-class Certificate was 
awarded at a recent meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society. The leaves, when nicely 
blanched, are particularly good in flavour, so that the introduction of the plant into English 
gardens may be welcomed as a boon. The wonder is that this has not been done before. 
- ^HE Plants prepared at Chiswick for the decoration of the garden at 
South Kensington always draw heavily on the labour and other resources of that 
establishment. During the past year the Director reports that there have been 
provided in this way, and devoted to this object, 12,000 flowering plants for the ornamenta¬ 
tion of the conservatory, and 62,000 for bedding-out in the garden. The conservatory plants, 
calculated at the low price of Is. each, give a return of £597 IGs.; and the bedding plants. 
Valued at from Id. to 4d. each, a return of £45717s., making a total of £1,055 13s.—the whole 
expenditure on maintaining the garden during the past year, exclusive of rent and taxes, 
being only about £1,500, and some few hundred pounds being further returned by the sale of 
produce to the Fellows and others. 
- 0^HE Neil Prize of £50 was unanimously awarded to Mr. Robert 
Foulis, gardener to G-. H. Henderson, Esq., Fordell, Fifeshire, at a recent meeting 
of the managers of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. The Neil Prize 
is the interest of £500, left by the late Patrick Neil, Esq., of Canonmills Cottage, which in¬ 
terest was to accumulate, and every third year be awarded to some distinguished botanist or 
horticulturist. Mr. Foulis has received the award, on account of his being a successful 
gardener and keen arboriculturist. He has been at Fordell nearly fifty years, and in addition 
to the garden, has had the management of the farm and woods, which are both very extensive. 
©littttars* 
— Pt. Adolphe Beongniart, one of the most eminent European botanists, 
died recently at Paris. He was born in Paris in 1801, and is perhaps best known 
by his numerous publications on fossil plants, on which he was a leading authority. 
He was also the author, of numerous carefully elaborated monographs of living plants, and 
in 1843 published his “ Enumeration des Genres des Plantes Cultivees an Museum.” 
