From Prof. E. S.

Sargent, Director. Annual Report of the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, 1881, from Dr. J. D. Hooker, Director.

We are glad of the opportunity to notice together the annual reports of these two excellent institutions, established in the old and the new world, the one in a vigorous infancy with a promise of a long and useful life, the other old in years, but as young and flourishing in useful work as it ever was. From Prof. Sargent's report we notice that the New Sylva of the United States, which will give colored plates of all the trees of our country, is ins a good state of progress towards completion.

Among the many useful chapters in the Kew Report are those relating to new facts in coffee, gutta percha, India rubber, and especially cinchona. In connection with the last named it may be noted that the experimental plantations in Jamaica have proved a great success wherever they have been made at elevations between 2,500 and 5,000 feet, but have failed at lower ones. The Director of Kew Gardens believes that at no distant date Jamaica will produce enough bark to supply the demand from the United States. Dr. Alfred S. Kennedy, of Philadelphia, has for some time been enthusiastic in his belief that it would succeed in some parts of the United States, and desires the United States government to attempt its introduction. For our own part we do not know of any place where it is likely to succeed. Unfortunately the United States has no " government stations " in different parts of the countries where knowledge from actual experiment, under the direction of intelligent gardeners, could be obtained. The experimental grounds under the direction of the State Colleges may some day supply this deficiency, and many of them could do so well already.

No doubt Professor Hilgard, of the University of California, could soon tell whether it was worth while to invoke government aid for Cinchona culture in any part of California.

Les Plantes Potageres, description et culture des principaux legumes des climats temperes, par Vilmorin, Andrieux et cie. Paris, 1883. (Kitchen Garden Plants, and the principal legumes of temperate regions, with their description and culture.) This is a magnificent work of 650 pages by this world renowned seed firm, profusely illustrated by fine engravings and giving minutely the histories of everything known. It is amazing what numbers of plants are under culture, of which little is as yet known in our country. Though the French language is now widely understood in America, we believe an English translation issued here would have a wide sale, and we submit the idea to the enterprising authors.