John Laing

This.is one of those intelligent British gardeners of whom the Old World is proud. In his early years he became eminent in botanical as well as horticultural pursuits; he has since been a member of several prominent nursery firms - but is best known as a hybridizer of flowers. Many of the wonderful races of plants that adorn our gardens and greenhouses, had their origin with him. The tuberous Begonias had an early start from his hand. He was born near Brechin, in Scotland, in 1823.

In The Heart Of The Sierras

Every traveler through the Yosemite knows Mr. John M. Hutchins, who was among the earlier discoverers of the beauties of the Yosemite, and who is now in charge of the National Forest of Big Trees. It is not often that just the right man writes just the right book, but with him for the author of this work, with his twenty years' experience, the "fittest" has certainly come to the front this time. From sample pages we have seen it will be a welcome book to the California traveler.

Entomological Society Of Ontario - Seventeenth Annual Report

Contains a full account with drawings of the leading insects injurious to the cultivator in Ontario. An exceedingly valuable issue.

Missouri State Horticultural Society

Mr. Joly, our French correspondent, marvels at the wonderful growth of fruit culture and some other branches of horticulture in the United States. Much of this progress, we think, is due to the admirable work of State Societies, as well as our horticultural press, which scatter knowledge far and wide. Such a work as this Twenty-ninth Report of the Proceedings of this Society, is very suggestive as to how the good work goes on.

Fences, Gates, And Bridges

By George A. Martin. Orange Judd Company, New York. This is a particularly useful compendium of all that is known of the subject of which it treats.

Two Good Weeping Trees

The Horticultural Art Journal for November has colored plates of Teas' Weeping Mulberry and Thompson's Weeping Dogwood, introduced by Thomas Mee-han & Son. They are both very distinct and desirable acquisitions to ornamental gardening.

The Japan Yew

The soft green of this member of the Yew family is very attractive. It is very hardy, and ought to be more generally grown. There are two kinds in cultivation - Cephalotaxus Fortunei and C. drupacea. They are sexual variations of one species. The drupacea makes the prettiest bush.

The Dwarf Catalpa

The dwarf variety of our common Catalpa, Catalpa bignonoides, seems to be known as Catalpa Bungei in European catalogues. It makes a very pretty tree, when trained six or eight feet high on a single stem, and then permitted to form a head. As usually seen, it is suffered to grow as a bush.