December  21,  1899. 
535 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE 
***  Descriptive  List  ready  Dec  12th. 
BARR’S 
ANNUAL 
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OF  SPRING-FLOWERING 
For  Greenhouse,  Flower  Garden,  and  to 
Naturalise  in  Shrubberies,  Wild  Gardens, 
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—  at  — 
507°  BELOW  CATALOGUE  PRICES. 
Bulbs  in  first-class  condition ;  early  orders 
invited  as  supply  is  limited. 
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BARB  <&,  SONS, 
12  &  13,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London. 
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SHRUBS  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION. 
Write  at  once,  before  planting,  for  his  ‘‘Remarks  on 
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Apple  ;  with  list  of  all  kinds  of  Fruit  Trees,  Roses,  and 
Shrubs.  All  sent  post  free  on  application  to — 
H.  MERRY  WEATHER, 
The  Nurseries,  SOUTHWELL,  NOTTS. 
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Beg  to  call  attention  to  their  magnificent  stock  of 
HARDY  RHODODENDRONS 
AZALEAS,  CONIFERS, 
Evergreens,  Deciduous  Trees,  Ac. 
Intending  Planters  would  do  well  to  inspect 
the  Nurseries. 
fT  CATALOGUES  ON  APPLICATION.  | 
By  Appointment. 
Messrs.  Dobbie  So  Co.  have  enlarged  and 
improved  their  well-known  Catalogue  and 
Competitors’  Guide. 
It  now  extends  to  216  quarto  pages, 
fully  illustrated,  and  gives  very  full  cul¬ 
tural  directions  for  the  different  Flowers 
and  Vegetables,  including  times  for  sow- 
iog,  &c. 
Ten  Thousand  extra  copies  have  been 
printed,  and  anyone  can  secure  a  copy  per 
Parcel  Post  by  sending  Sixpence  in  Stamps 
for  same.  _ 
Please  mention  “  Joutnal  of  Horticulture"  ulien  wiitimj. 
THE  MOST  COMPLETE  STANDARD  WORKS 
ON  ORCHIDS. 
SUITABLE  FOR  CHRISTMAS  PRESENT. 
THE  ORCHID  ALBUM 
Comprising  Coloured  Figures  and  Descriptions  of 
NEW,  RARE.  &  BEAUTIFUL  ORCHIDACEOUS 
PLANTS  cultivated  in  this  Country. 
The  work,  which  is  now  complete,  consists  of  eleven 
volumes  in  royal  quarto,  each  containing  forty-eight 
beautiful  hand-coloured  plates. 
The  text  comprises  English  botanical  descriptions  of 
the  plants  figured,  notes  on  their  cultivation,  and  such 
gtneral  observations  concerning  them  as  may  be  likely  to 
prove  of  interest  or  utility  to  <  rchid  growers.  ~ 
Price  for  the  complete  Eleven  Volumes  :  — 
In  Paper  Covers,  £33. 
Bound  complete,  in  Cloth  Cases,  gilt  edges,  £36  6/* *. 
The  ORCHID  GROWERS’  MANUAL 
Seventh  Edition.  Enlarged  and  Revised.  Containing 
800  pages  and  311  illustrations,  making  the  most  complete, 
up-to-date  work  on  Orchids  yet  published. 
Super-royal  Svo.  Price,  25/-. 
Free  by  Parcel  Post  in  the  United  Kingdom,  25/8. 
PUBLISHED  BY 
B.  S.  WILLIAMS  &  SON, 
Victoria  and  Paradise  Nurseries, 
UPPER  HOLLOWAY,  LONDON,  N. 
PURE  WOOD  CHARCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture :  “  Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manurial  agent ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  benefited  by 
having  Charcoal  applied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.' 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  Prices  to  the  Manufacturers- 
HIRST,  BROOKE  &  HIRST,  Ltd.,  Leeds 
Greenhouses  from  £3  5/-;  vineries, 
CONSERVATORIES,  FRAMES,  SUMMER  HOUSES,  &C. 
Illustrated  List  Free.  Makers  to  H.M.  THE  Queen  and 
ELR.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
EB.  HAWTHORN  &  CO.,  Ltd.,  London  Works, 
•  READING.  (Name  Paper.) 
GARDENER. 
THURSDAY,  DECEMBER  21,  1899. 
THE  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  can  be  obtained 
from  the  Office,  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers ,  Fleet  8t., 
London,  post  free  for  a  Quarter,  3/9.  Editorial 
communications  must  be  addressed  to  12,  Mitre 
Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street,  Lon  ion. 
LAGGING  BEHIND, 
WE  have  received  a  mass  of  literature  from 
the  New  Zealand  Department  of  Agriculture 
in  the  form  of  “  Reports,”  mainly  by  Mr.  T.  W. 
Kirk,  F.R.M.S.,  F.L.S.,  which  are  distributed  for 
the  benefit  of  gardeners,  fruit  growers,  and  farmers. 
The  thoroughness  with  which  the  work  is  done  is 
very  apparent,  and  information  is  disseminated  on 
a  host  of  subjects,  which  cannot  fail  to  be  of  great 
value  to  those  for  whom  it  is  intended.  Some¬ 
thing  of  the  same  kind  is  done  by  the  Agricultural 
Department  of  our  own  Government  in  the  form  of 
leaflets  periodically  issued  on  the  enemies  of  fruit 
and  other  crops,  but  many  of  these  are  apparently, 
in  a  large  degree  at  least,  compilations  from  various 
sources,  and  not  founded  on  original  research  by 
officials  of  the  department.  Similar  remarks  may, 
perhaps,  apply  to  some  extent  to  the  New  Zealand 
reports,  still  these  are  the  more  complete  and 
comprehensive. 
Some  of  our  colonies  would  seem  to  be  forging 
ahead  of  the  mother  country  in  the  thoroughness 
of  the  investigation  into  matters  pertaining  to 
various  plants  and  crops,  their  cultivation  and  their 
enemies,  as  are  the  United  States  and  Germany ; 
and  it  is  noticeable  that  not  a  few  scientists  at 
home  are  indebted  for  much  of  the  information  they 
distribute,  to  investigators  in  those  countries  where 
there  are  greater  facilities  for  acquiring  it  than  in 
our  own.  It  is  better  to  have  it,  or  much  of  it,  in 
second-hand  form  than  not  at  all,  but  it  would  be 
not  the  less  interesting  or  useful  if  its  source  were 
more  generally  acknowledged. 
It  is  true  we  have  sundry  agricultural  colleges 
and  stations  in  Britain,  in  connection  with  which 
it  may  he  freely  conceded  valuable  work  has  been 
done  and  exact  knowledge  gained  and  circulated. 
We  have  also  the  grand  botanical  establishment  of 
Kew — a  very  fount  of  knowledge  and  museum  of 
plant  life  and  economy,  from  which  aid  and 
information  of  enormous  practical  value  have  been 
imparted  to  some  of  our  colonies,  as  well  as  in 
various  ways  and  aspects  at  home.  Kew  is,  in 
fact,  the  sun  and  centre  of  the  vegetable  kingdom 
regarded  in  its  scientific,  ornamental,  and  economic 
No.  2(173  — Vol.  CL,  Old  Series. 
No.  1017. — Vol.  XXXIX.,  Third  Series. 
