258 THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [NOVEMBER, 
by M. Besserer, and have since passed into the hands of M. Laurentius, by whom 
they are now offered for sale. 
As will be seen from the figures, these plants are considerably smaller than 
A. liorrida, and would form very nice additions to a collection of these interest¬ 
ing succulents. They have the leaves nearly of equal breadth throughout. The 
characteristic marginal spines are but slightly developed, but the apex is termi- 
FlG. 1. 
nated by a very strong and formidable dark-coloured spine of considerable length. 
There are two varieties, introduced at the same time, the one having green, the 
other glaucous leaves, and respectively named A. Bessereriana viridis (fig. 1), and 
A. Bessereriana glauca (fig. 2). We are very glad indeed to see that these 
interesting plants are advancing in public favour.—M. 
THE WILD GAEDEN.* 
0 understand the aim of this little book, the author tells us, it is desirable 
to take a broad glance at the past and present state of English flower gardens. 
f From about twenty years ago, back to the time of Shakespeare, the flowers 
cultivated in our garden were nearly all hardy ones; they came from 
northern or temperate regions, in most cases from climates very like our own ; 
they were as hardy as our weeds ; they bloomed early in the keen spring air, and 
late in the wet autumn gusts, as well as in the favoured summer’s day. Passages 
from our greatest poets and writers—Shakespeare, Milton, Bacon, and others— 
* The Wild Garden, or our Groves and Shrubberies made Beautiful by the Naturalization of Hardy BxoUc 
Plants; with a Chapter on tlw Garden of British Wild Flowers. By W. Robinson, Author of “Alpine Flowers 
for English Gardens,” &c. London: Murray. 
