March  12,n896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
243 
THREE  USEFUL  PRIMERS.* 
WITH  the  rapid  growth  of  a  love  of  gardening  has  sprung  up  an  ever 
increasing  demand  for  horticultural  literature.  Weekly  publications 
are  fully  appreciated,  but  they  are  not  enough  for  amateurs  and  novice* 
generally  ;  they  want  in  addition  handy  books  of  reference  of  a  com¬ 
paratively  cheap  yet  thoroughly  reliable  character.  That  such  is  the 
case  few  men  have  better  opportunities  of  learning  than  myself.  As  a 
teacher  on  horticulture  I  am  frequently  asked  at  the  end  of  my  lectures 
for  cheap  works  on  gardening.  Dp  to  quite  recently  there  was  only 
Wright’s  “  Primer  of  Horticulture  ”  that  would  meet  the  case,  no  better 
shillings  worth  ever  having  come  under  my  notice.  Now,  we  have  three 
new  and  excellent  primers,  each  honestly  worth  half-a-crown,  but  which 
are  sold  at  Is.  each,  and  they  must  inevitably  become  extremely  popular. 
They  contain  a  surprisingly  large  amount  of  information,  concisely 
written,  well  printed,  instructively  illustrated,  also  neatly  and  service¬ 
ably  bound.  For  the  purpose  of  impartial  review,  the,  first  taken  in 
hand  is  that  bearing  the  title 
Greenhouse  and  Window  Plants. 
This,  as  pointed  out  in  the  preface,  is  a  posthumous  work,  as  it  was 
written  by  the  late  Mr.  Charle*  Collins,  a  young  man  not  unknown  to  the 
readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture. 
and  who  was  cut  off  on  the  threshold 
of  what  promised  to  be  a  useful,  if  not 
brilliant,  career.  Mr.  J.  Wright,  the 
Editor  of  this  Primer,  disclaims  all 
credit  for  its  excellence,  preferring  to 
think  the  lamented  author  would 
have  completed  the  work  in  a  more 
satisfactory  manner.  Greenhouses  are 
now  as  “  plentiful  as  Blackberries,” 
nearly  every  enthusiast  who  can  afford 
a  small  plant-growing  structure  not 
resting  content  till  he  has  one. 
Those  who  have  already  succeeded  in 
their  wishes  ought  to  possess  a  copy 
of  the  Primer  under  notice,  and  all 
who  contemplate  building  should  cer¬ 
tainly  invest  in  one  before  commencing,  as  there  is  a  most  instructive 
chapter  on  the  construction  of  greenhouses,  which  should  be  well  studied, 
several  illustrations  of  simple  structures  helping  to  show  what  so  many 
amateurs  ought  to  know. 
Following  this,  equally  reliable  information  is  given  as  to  the 
cheapest  and  best  methods  of  heating  greenhouses,  incluiing  tables 
showing  at  a  glance  the  amount  of  piping  needed  to  keep  up  certain 
temperatures  each  house  would  require.  In  this  chapter  are  also  included 
various  hints  on  stoking,  ventilation,  and  the  general  management  of  a 
greenhouse.  Then  we  have  remarks  on  the  various  appliances  and 
materials  required  by  all  who  would  succeed  in  plant  culture,  soils  and 
manures  coming  in  for  a  good  share  of  attention.  Particularly  interest¬ 
ing  and  instructive  is  the  chapter  on  methods  of  propagation  by  means 
of  seeds,  cuttings,  stems,  and  leaves,  a  simple  method  for  amateurs  being 
shown  in  fig.  42.  A,  pot  plunged  in  damp  moss  ;  B,  glass. 
After  general  cultural  directions  we  come  to  chapters  on  various 
plants  divided  into  groups.  Spring  and  summer  flowering  plants  are 
treated  in  detail,  sound  information  accompanying  each  order  or  species. 
Bulbous  and  tuberous-rooted  plants  are  equally  well  treated.  Next 
comes  a  chapter  on  ornamental  foliage  and  berry-bearing  plants,  followed 
by  another  on  climbers,  with  still  another  on  trailing  plants  equally 
complete.  Nor  is  this  all,  for  Ferns  and  greenhouse  rockeries  are  ably, 
if  briefly,  treated  upon.  The  selections  given  are  most  reliable,  and 
comprise  all  plants  that  are  worthy  of  recommendation  either  for  green¬ 
house  or  window  culture. 
Not  satisfied  with  this,  we  have  yet  a  chapter  on  Orchids  for 
beginners  that  will  not  lack  appreciation,  while  chapters  14  and  15  are 
devoted  to  hints  on  the  selection  and  cultivation  of  plants  for  unheated 
greenhouses  and  windows  respectively,  finishing  with  a  few  useful  notes 
on  the  extermination  of  insect  pests  and  plant  diseases.  A  capital  index 
completes  this  really  remarkable  shillingsworth. 
Garden  Flowers  and  Plants. 
When  I  first  scanned  the  pages  of  this  Primer  it  occurred  to  me 
that  its  author,  Mr.  J.  Wright,  had  been  a  little  too  sparing  of  cultural 
details,  but  on  going  through  it  a  second  time  was  obliged  to  alter  my 
opinion,  and  must  now  express  admiration  for  the  thoroughness  of  the 
work.  There  was  enough  material  at  hand  to  fill  a  work  six  times  the 
size  of  this  Primer  of  144  pages,  and  none  but  an  expert  could  have 
condensed  so  much  reliable  information  into  such  a  small  compass  with¬ 
out  greatly  impairing  its  usefulness. 
In  the  matter  of  selections  of  species  and  varieties  the  work  is  quite 
up  to  date,  and  for  these  alone  should  be  largely  purchased  by  profes¬ 
sional  gardeners,  as  well  as  amateurs.  Only  those  who  have  attempted 
anything  of  the  kind  fully  realise  the  amount  of  experience  needed, 
and  the  thought  and  care  that  have  to  be  exercised  when  selections  have 
to  be  made.  So  highly  do  I  value  those  in  the  book  that  I  shall  con¬ 
stantly  quote  and  advise  them. 
At  the  outset  much-needed  definitions  are  given  of  the  terms  annuals, 
biennials,  and  perennials.  In  reference  to  the  last  named  section  I 
reproduce  the  following  for  the  benefit  of  readers  who  are  also  exhibitors  : 
— “  All  plants,  Buch  as  hardy  border  flowers,  that  die  down  and  spring 
up  again  from  the  rootstock  year  after  year  are  perennials — herbaceous. 
Roses  and  other  flowering  shrubs  are  also  perennials,  but  not  herbaceous. 
Through  not  recognising  the  distinction  persons  have  included  Rose* 
in  collections  of  cut  flowers  of  ‘  hardy  herbaceous  ’  plants,  and  the 
stands  have  been,  or  ought  to  have  been,  disqualified  at  flower  shows. 
Under  the  term  ‘  hardy  border  flowers  ’  Roses  would  be  admissible, 
because  they  are  hardy  flowers  grown  in  borders,  though  the  plants  are 
not  herbaceous  but  shrubby  perennials.” 
The  chapter  on  hardy  annuals  is  to  my  thinking  one  of  the  best  in 
FIG.  43. — TUBEROUS  BEGONIAS. 
the  book,  and  should  do  much  towards  still  further  popularising  this 
easily  raised  and  very  showy  class  of  plants. 
With  the  opening  paragraph  I  cordially  agree,  and  will  repeat  it. 
“  These  (hardy  annuals)  are  the  cheapest  of  all  flowers,  as  a  thousand 
plants  of  many  of  them  can  be  raised  from  a  threepeny  packet  of  seeds. 
They  are  also  as  easy  to  grow  as  any  plants,  but  it  is  quite  futile 
to  expect  sturdy  growth,  and  a  satisfactory  and  prolonged  display  of 
flowers,  from  plants  that  are  densely  packed  together  in  their  infancy. 
Nor  will  late  thinning  or  removing  a  portion  of  the  plants  be  of  any 
avail  in  improving  the  remainder.  Thinning  must  be  done  to  prevent 
the  crowding.  It  is  important  that  the  full  significance  of  that  injunc¬ 
tion  should  be  grasped.”  The  writer  then  goes  on  to  give  illustrated 
examples  of  what  is  best  to  be  done  for  the  welfare  of  the  young  plants, 
also  on  the  best  methods  of  raising  half-hardy  annuals.  Hardy  bulbs 
and  tubers  have  a  chapter  devoted  to  them,  brimful  of  sound  informa¬ 
tion,  while  bedding  plants  also  receive  a  full  Bhare  of  attention,  the 
author  showing,  among  other  things,  how  Begonias  should  and  should 
not  be  prepared  for  planting  (see  fig.  43). 
There  is  a  fairly  long  chapter,  yet  all  too  brief,  on  popular  hardy 
border  flower*,  by  Mr.  S.  Arnott,  and  the  selections  of  these  ought  to  be 
particularly  valuable  to  amateurs.  Florists’  flowers,  including  Auriculas, 
Carnations  and  Picotees,  summer  Chrysanthemum*,  Dahlias,  Delphiniums, 
Irises,  Pseonies,  Pansies,  Pentstemons,  Phloxes,  Pinks,  Primroses  and 
Polyanthuses,  Pyrethrnms,  Roses,  Violas  and  Violets  are  comprised  in 
the  last  chapter,  and  with  an  index  complete  this  unambitious  but  most 
comprehensive  and  instructive  little  book. 
Vegetable  Culture. 
Mr.  A.  Dean  is  the  author  of  the  third  of  the  Primers  I  am  reviewing. 
He  is  very  well  known  to  the  horticultural  world,  more  particularly  as  a 
FIG.  44, — POVERTY,  PROGRESS  AND  PROSPERITY. 
critic  of  no  mean  order,  and  we  now  have  good  opportunities  of  noting 
whether  or  not  he  is  stronger  in  destroying  than  in  constructing.  He 
ha*  many  good  opportunities  for  arriving  at  sound  conclusions  on  most 
subjects  pertaining  to  vegetable  culture,  and  if  he  has  not  actually 
succeeded  in  defying  criticism,  he  haa  approached  very  near  to  that 
FIG.  42. — SIMPLE  METHOD  OF 
ROOTING  CUTTINGS. 
*  Macmillan  &  Oo„  Bedford  Street,  Covent  Garden. 
