312 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 9, 1904. 
Reviews of Books. 
“ Propagating Plants by Seeds, Cuttings, Layers, Grafts, 
Buds, etc. By D. S. Fish, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Edinburgh. London: Dawbarn and Ward, Ltd., 6, Farringdon 
Avenue, E.C. Prince 6cl., post free 7d. 
No. 9.—“ Hardy Perennials.” 
This number deals with hardy perennials, amd the writer is 
the same who dealt with “ Propagating Plants.” The various 
phases in the cultivation of perennials are tackled by Mr. Fish, 
here again illustrating his remarks by numerous drawings on a 
small scale. On page 9 is a drawing of a suggestion for a peren¬ 
nial border. A piece of ground of irregular outline is supposed 
to be planted with various subjects, which lie names. The plan 
is to mark off the ground into irregular pieces, indicating these 
with numbers, which refer to the plants which he suggests for 
fitting into this arrangement. After a few short articles upon 
the preparation of soil and marking off borders, lie takes up 
certain classes of plants specifically, dealing briefly with each 
species or class under consideration. These are all arranged 
alphabetically. At the end of this booklet lists are given of 
flowers which bloom in early spring, late spring, summer, and 
autumn. All these lists and hints will, of course, be useful to 
beginners and collectors, for whom the “ Rural Handbooks ” are 
chiefly intended. 
“ Mushroom Growing and Spawn Making.” Barter’s, Ltd., 
Mushroom Spawn Manufacturers, Napier Road, Wembley, 
Middlesex. _ _ . 
This small brochure consists of eighteen pages, exclusive of the 
covers, and gives numerous illustrations of various phases of 
the culture of Mushrooms as carried on by Messrs. Barter at 
Wembley. Some- of these illustrations show the- bricks of Mush¬ 
room spawn at various stages, also ridge culture of Mushrooms, 
the preparing of Mushrooms fo-r the market, testing sheds, t-he 
baskets in which the Mushrooms are sent to market, the gather¬ 
ing of Mushrooms both out of do-ors- and under glas_s. All these 
pictures very clearly represent the business as it is carried on 
here, and some information is- given about the plants and. other 
matters. The pamphlet does not contain- instructions for cul¬ 
ture, however. 
“ May’s Practical Methods, to Ensure- Instant Relief and Per¬ 
manent Cur© of Disease without Drugs, Minerals, or Doctor’s 
Fees.” By E. and B. May. Fifteenth Thousand. London: 
Pitman, Hart and Oo-., 20, Paternoster Row, E.C. ; and -others. 
This book of some 111 pages deals with all sorts o-f tilings 
relating to medicine. Its chief plea-, however, is the cure of 
diseases without drugs or minerals. From that noint of view, it 
takes into- consideration all sorts of food and beverages, and 
defines whether wholesome or unwholesome, according to the 
views of Mr. May and the- disciples- of his- school. Vario-u-s papers 
are quoted in- different parts of the book, giving quotations that 
the author agrees- with, or ha-s- cited in support of statements 
which he has made. He says- that within recent years much has- 
been written for and against every article of food and drink used 
by man. We- think that is very likely, because “many men, 
many minds.” We are not all constituted alike, nor is it pos¬ 
sible for us to think a-like. Some kinds of food will agree- with 
us-, and other kinds will disagree. This may depend upon our 
constitution, for which we may or may not be responsible, accord¬ 
ing to- circumstances. It is possible by eating too much of one 
kind of food, either through choice or obligation, to ruin or 
injure the- constitution, and in such a cas-e we consider that 
every man or woman ought to study their own health in- all 
case-s where it is possible for them to do so. 
The author de-als with the die-t question, introducing the ques¬ 
tion of fruit to a, large extent, both as an article of food and as 
an article for the preparation o-f fruit beverages, which he dis¬ 
cusses as wholesome, and which he considers desirable to use. 
A diet in which fruit predominates he considers the best in 
every case, and advocates that it be- eaten at meals instead of 
between them. Nuts he- considers an excellent article of food 
for those- who can digest them, hut that in itself is evidence that 
everyone carnnot be treated alike, and the people must exerci-se 
their discretion or judgment as to what particular fruits best 
agree with them. 
Fie is very much against diets o-f me-a/t, which he- considers 
stimulating, unnatural, and unwholesome. “ The more fruit is 
taken the less drink is needed,” he say-s, and further states that 
the eating -o-f fruit would diminish the desire- for tea, coffe-e, and 
alcoholic drinks, all of which he considers contain narcotic 
poison, and produce their particular diseases. He also rails 
against the usual method of cooking vegetables and throwing 
away the liquid as waste. By so doing, we 1 lose the saline phos¬ 
phates necessary to perfect nourishment. In relation to the 
antiquity of fruits in, human economy, he quotes the “ Nine¬ 
teenth Century ” in which is mentioned the first letter writer 
known to history. This writer states that nursery gardens then 
existed; that is, about 1200 B.C. He also presumes that these 
nurseries were for the raising of fruit trees. There can be little 
doubt that early attention was given to fruit trees, for in the 
lake dwellings in Switzerland we have evidence that fruits were 
cut in quarters and dried for preservation until required 
for use as food. These fruits, in all probability, were gathered 
in the wild -state. 
There is a Progressive Health Club, to which Mr. May and 
others of his persuasion belong. On another page the object and 
aim of this club is set forth, not for any financial gain, hut for 
the physical, moral, and mental elevation of the human race. 
A large number of plants are mentioned,- and their uses in 
medicin-e, food, and drink, etc., discussed. __ 
“ Chrysanthemum Guide,” by H. J. Jones, Ryecroft Nursery, 
Hither Green, Lewisham. Thirteenth edition, 1903. Price 6d. 
Mr. Jones’ guide lias been on our table for some time, having 
been sent out in the autumn while the Chrysanthemums were yet 
uppermost in the minds of growers. It runs to 62 pages of 
closely printed matter, and is sent out in two styles of binding, 
one with paper covers, priced as above, and one in cloth boards, 
the price of which is not stated as far as we can see. 
The first chapter deals with stopping and timing. In this 
chapter some instructions are given in short paragraphs that deal 
wth the time for pinching and securing the first or second crown 
buds, and the time at which this is done. A simple diagram 
serves to illustrate what is meant by the break hud, first crown, 
second crown, and terminal buds. The alphabetical list for 
stopping and timing certain named varieties should be very valu¬ 
able to beginners. This, of course, only applies to well-known 
varieties, and the cultivator himself will have to determine 
which bud is the most suitable for the newest varieties now being 
put into commerce. 
A useful chapter dealing with all phases of cultivation of 
Japanese- Chrysanthemums for exhibition is given by the Presi¬ 
dent of the National Chrysanthemum Society, C. E. Shea, Esq. 
Another chapter deals with the culture of the incurved Chrysan¬ 
themum, by the celebrated or champion grower of this class, Mr. 
W. Higgs. . 
It may be remembered that incurved blooms require a consider¬ 
able amount of dressing before they are fit to appear on the 
exhibition board. A chapter, therefore, deals with that particu¬ 
lar phase of exhibition work. A calendar of work for the year 
has also been written by Mr. W. H. Lees, another champion of 
some years’ standing, Other chapters deal with the cultivation 
of Chrysanthemums in small pots, also f-o-r decorative purposes 
and early flowering varieties for out-door culture. Mr. Shea 
also tackles the raising of Chrysanthemum seedlings, and Mr. .1. 
Brooks takes up the culture of large specimen plants. A chapter 
deals with the Chrysanthemum rust, which Mr. Jones seems to 
have mastered, and gives the method he adopts for keeping his 
plants clean. With such an array of writers of great cultural 
ability the reader may depend upon getting reliable information 
in the guide. Allowance must, of course, he made foy locality 
in the matter of timing, etc. 
“ Garden Lawns, Tennis Lawns, Bowling Greens, Croquet 
Grounds, Cricket Grounds.” By Sutton and Sons, Reading. 
London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, and Co., Ltd., 
1904. Price Is. All rights reserved. 
The title page of this little hook does not state what edition it 
is, hut the last one we have was sent, out in 1902. That only ran 
to 36 pages. The present one is nearly double the size, consisting 
of 65 pages. Numerous illustrations adorn its pages, showing 
smoothly shaven lawns, which are so characteristic of well-kept 
places in this country. These illustrations are reproductions 
from photographs evidently taken in private establishments, so 
that they represent real life pictures. 
The plan of the hook is to give chapters dealing with the 
various phases of the question at issue, namely, lawns, soil, grass 
slopes, drainage, preparatory work, weed seeds in soil, enriching 
the soil, surface preparation, selection of seeds, quantity of seeds, 
sowing, worm casts, watering, bird' scares, mowing, rolling, 
destruction of weeds, improving lawns, moss in lawns, etc. It 
will thus be seen that every question which is likely to arise con¬ 
cerning the keeping of lawns in order has provision made for it 
in this book. Putting grounds, cricket grounds, and plans for 
a double tennis court and croquet ground receive special atten¬ 
tion at the end of the book. 
