THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
16c 
RECENT PUBLICATIONS. 
Unjust criticism of the “ Standard Dictionary ” is made by an Eng¬ 
lish competitor in saying that objectionable words are included. Over 
200,000 words were excluded and the dictionary was very carefully 
prepared. It is descriptive of the language as it is. 
Three valuable bulletins just issued by the Cornell University Agri¬ 
cultural Experiment Station are “Notions About the Spraying of 
Trees, with Remarks on the Canker Worm,” by Prof. L. H. Bailey; 
“ Care of Fruit Trees, with Some Reflections Upon Weeds,” by Prof. 
L. II. Bailey, and “Soil Depletion in Respect to the Care of Fruit 
Trees,” by J. P. Roberts. 
The report of Samuel B. Ileiges, pomologist of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, just issued, is of more than usual interest. 
It contains an account of the pomologist’s trips to the Michigan fruit 
region and the fruit regions of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, 
a review of the fruit crop of 1894, a description of promising new 
fruits with lithographic plates, suggestions on the cultivation of the 
orchid and the improvement of strains, and articles on nut culture by 
H. M. Engle, of Pennsylvania ; prune culture in the Pacilic North¬ 
west by E. R. Lake, of Oregon, and peach culture by J. H. Hale, of 
Connecticut. 
An attractively and carefully arranged description of the trees of the 
Northern United States by Austin C. Apgar, professor of botany in the 
New Jersey State Normal School, has recently been issued. It has 
been prepared for the use of schools as well as private students. The 
author justly remarks that the difticulty in tree study by the aid of the 
usual botanies lies mainly in the fact that in using them the first essential 
parts to be examined are the blossoms and their organs. These remain 
on the trees a very short time. In this book the leaves, the wood, the 
bark, and, in an elementary way, the fruit are the parts to which at-^ 
tention is directed. These can be found and studied throughout the 
greater part of the year and are just the parts that must be thoroughly 
known by all who wish to learn to recognize trees. The ground covered 
by the book is that of the wild and cultivated trees found east of the 
Rocky Mountains and north of the southern boundary of Virginia and 
Missouri. Many shrubby plants are introduced. In nomenclature 
“Gray’s Manual” has been followed. Scientific names are marked to 
indicate the pronunciation. Among the author’s acknowledgements 
for assistance are special thanks to Samuel C. Moon of Morrisville Nur¬ 
series, who placed his large collection of living specimens at the 
author’s disposal. Nearly all the illustrations were taken from original 
drawings from nature by the author. The book is a valuable addition 
to the literature on this subject. It is simple and practical. Pp. 224. 
Price $1. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago : American Book Co. 
There has just been issued the second of the “Garden-craft Series,” 
a work on “Plant-Breeding,” by Professor L. H. Bailey of Cornell 
University. It consists of five lectures and a glossary. In the first 
lecture the causes for the appearing of new forms of plants, and the 
fundamental methods for fixing these forms and making them perma¬ 
nent are presented. The influence of soils and methods of treatment, 
effects of climate, the change of seed, etc., are discussed. The second 
lecture expounds the use and need of crossing in the vegetable kingdom, 
and its value as a means of originating new varieties. The heart of the 
book is in the third lecture, where specific rules for the guidance of 
the cultivator are laid down, none of which are to be found particu¬ 
larly set forth in this connection in other readily accessible writings. 
The fourth lecture provides translations of important foreign opinions 
on plant breeding for those who have not at command other languages 
than their own. In the final chapter, directions for the crossing of 
plants are given in detail and with full illustrations. Another book of 
this series, “The Horticulturist’s Rule Book,” by the same author, is 
already well knoAvn to many nurserymen and horticulturists. In the 
“Rural Science Series” are “The Soil” by Franklin H. King, and 
“ The Spraying of Plants” by Professor E. G. Lodeman. The former 
has been referred to in these columns; the latter is in press. “The 
Spraying of Plants” is thoroughly illustrated with new and origimfi 
engravings. It is the only book in any language which attempts to 
give a complete account of the history and philosophy of the spraying 
of plants. It is fortunate that a historian of the subject has appeared so 
('arly in the progress of this new practice, before the early events are 
wholly lost from memory. Mr. Lodeman has expended the effort of 
two years upon the book, and has visited Europe for the purpose of 
collecting material, making a trip to the vineyards of the Medoc in 
which the modern practice of spraying had its origin. The subject 
will not need another monographer for many years to come. Both 
series are published by Macmillan & Co., New York City. 
A delightful volume is that entitled “Birdcraft” by Mabel Osgood 
Wright. Whether regarded from a standpoint of entertainment or in¬ 
struction, it is equally interesting and valuable. In a charming man¬ 
ner the author introduces and describes her feathered friends. “The 
flowers silently await your coming,” she says, “from the wayside wild 
rose to the shy orchid entrenched in the depths of the cool bog, and 
you may examine and study them at your leisure. With the birds it 
is often only a luring call, a scrap of melody, and they are gone. Yet 
in spite of this you may have a bowing and even a speaking acquaint¬ 
ance with them. Open your window, or better still, go into the porch, 
for a procession is soon to pass, and you must hear the music. Listen ! 
on the branch of the oak where the leaves still cling is the bugler, the 
song sparrow, calling through the silence, ‘They come ! They come! 
They come! Prepare the way.’ Then presently, instead of tramping 
feet, you will hear the rustling of the innumerable wings of the bird 
army. Happy for you if it is a long time in passing and if a large part 
of it camps for the season. Usually it sends forward a few scouts, and 
then a company or two before the brigade, clad in its faultless dress 
uniform, sweeps on singing the greatest choral symphony of Nature— 
the spring song.” The author at the outset introduces the reader to 
many of the feathered songsters, chatting entertainingly and in a general 
manner of the coming in spring of the robin, the oriole, the catbird, the 
wren, the warblers, the whip-poor-will, the veery and the hermit thrush. 
The volume is divided upon the following subjects; “The Spring 
Song,” “The Building of the Nest,” “The Water-birds,” “Birds of 
Autumn and Winter,” “How to Name the Birds,” “Synopsis of Fami¬ 
lies,” “Bird Biographies.” There is a key to the birds, an index of 
English names and an index of Latin names. The descriptions of the 
birds are copiously illustrated by colored plates which add greatly to 
the value of the book. Horticulturists who have believed that all birds 
are a nuisance and cause damage to fruit are learning that birds are of 
great value often in destroying injurious insects, thus offsetting in a 
large degree their voracity for fruit. “Birdcraft” will be of interest 
to all whose vocation takes them out of doors, as well as to those who 
find pleasure in an occasional stroll “beyond the dreams of avarice.” 
Pp. filT. Plates xiv. Price $3. New York; Macmillan & Co. 
AN UP-TO-DATE JOURNAL. 
George C. Roeding, Manager Fanciier Creek Nursery, 
Fresno, Cal.— “I enclose herewith .fl in payment of our subscription 
to your journal from September 1895, to September 1896. We find the 
paper very interesting and up to date.” 
HAS not missed AN ISSUE. 
Milford A. Russell, Altipirma Nursery, Highlands, N. C.— 
“Enclosed is money order for $1 for The National Nurseryman. I 
have not missed an issue since the paper began, and I don’t feel that 
I can do without it as long as I am able to pay for it.” 
®bituar'2. 
Thomas Smith of the firm W. & T. Smith' Co., Geneva, N. Y., died 
on December 2d. He came to America from England in his early youth. 
With his brother he started in the nursery business in 1846 and has 
been prominent in that business since. The W. & T. Smith Co. shares 
with the firm of Ellwanger & B;irry of this city the honor of being 
pioneers in the nursery business in Western New York. Thomas Smith 
possessed perseverance and energy in a marked degree, even at his age of 
over three score years and ten. He was in every respect a self-made 
man. Although the nursery business was his chief work and pleasure, 
he was largely interested in the Geneva Bending Works, the Geneva 
Optical Co., the Geneva Accident Insurance Co., the Baltimore Retort 
Co., the Baltimore Fire Brick Co. and the First National Bank of Geneva. 
He is survived by his wife and six children. 
