1896. 'The Bamboo Garden,' by A. B. Freeman Mitford, C.B. Mr. Mitford tells us in his preface that his book is simply an attempt to give a descriptive list-what the French call a catalogue raisonne'-of the hardy Bamboos in cultivation in this country. We ought to be grateful that he has brought within the reach of everybody all that is to be said on this most beautiful family. - 1895. 'A History of Gardening in England,'by the Hon. Alicia Amherst. This is by far the most interesting and remarkable book that, I believe, has ever been written on the subject, and far surpasses in every way Mr. Johnson's * History of Gardening,'before alluded to. The book is full of information, drawn from patient and most diligent research, and will be of real utility to students of the literature and history of gardening and to the owners of large places. It contains little that will practically help people who live in cottages and small villas. It alludes only very indirectly to the beautiful illustrated flower books, especially the foreign ones, which so far exceed our own in artistic beauty and skill. It is rather sad that when the Society of Gardeners wished to illustrate their plants in 1736 they had to engage the services of Jacob van Huysum, brother of the Dutch flower-painter; and to this day the best periodical coloured flower-printing, though painted by Englishmen, is printed in Belgium (vide' The Garden'). Miss Amherst's book is one for constant reference; and the greater one's knowledge, the greater will be one's appreciation of it. I cannot but regret, however, that it has been printed on the disagreeable modern shiny paper, which also makes the book most inconveniently heavy. This paper, I am told, facilitates the reproduction of the illustrations; but these, also, are very hard and ugly, and quite unworthy of the book.

It is almost impossible to keep pace with the modern books about gardens, they are so numerous. Just to complete my list I will mention several in my possession, for, as the motto of one of them says, 'It is a natural consequence that those who cannot taste the actual fruition of a garden should take the greater delight in reading about one.'

'Voyage autour de mon Jardin,' by Alphonse Karr, is charming, and has been translated into English.

'The Praise of Gardens,'by Albert F. Sieveking, is a collection of quotations of all that has been written about gardens. The selection is very complete. Unfortunately the book is out of print.

I need hardly mention 'The Garden that I Love,'by Alfred Austin, as it has been such a favourite with the public. It is, of course, a book written less to instruct about gardening than to show what a beautiful and enchanting place a garden is for conversation, especially when the right people come together.

In the 'Edinburgh Review' for July 1896, there is an article called 'Gardens and Garden Craft,'with a long heading of gardening books, which many people will find interesting, as I did.

In the November (1896) number of 'The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society' is an excellent lecture by Mr. F. W. Burbidge, the Curator of the Botanical Garden in Dublin. In the 'Journal' the lecture is divided into three parts-called 'Garden Literature,' Reference Books on English Gardening Literature,' and 'Garden Libraries.'

It is interesting, besides other reasons, as being a somewhat new departure in the lectures delivered before the Horticultural Society. I strongly recommend those who care about the subject to read this lecture, as they will get a great deal of most useful information in a very condensed form. Mr. Burbidge strongly recommends garden libraries, in which I entirely agree with him. No large place should be without a room where gardening books and weekly gardening papers are within easy access of all the gardeners on the place, and no village club in England could not afford to take in Mr. Robinson's excellent little weekly paper called 'Cottage Gardening,' which I mentioned before. It costs one halfpenny, and is full of all sorts of useful information. Surely at village shows no better prize could be given than the back numbers (bound) of this most useful publication. Mr. Burbidge says: 'In America and in Germany the library seems to be thought as essential to good gardening and profitable land culture as here with us the seed room or the tool shed; and in England we are beginning to perceive the value of technical education, and to recognise the vital importance of the most recent scientific discoveries relating to our crops and their diseases, and the soil in which they grow. Private garden libraries, while most desirable, really form part of a much larger and wider question. If libraries are essential for the garden, surely they are even more so on the farm.' Mr. Burbidge winds up: 'But to form libraries we must have good and useful books, and I shall give a short list of those I believe to be the best of their kind; and one of the best ways I know of getting the best gardening books into the best hands is to award them as prizes to the cultivators and exhibitors of garden produce at allotment-garden and village flower shows.' With this I most cordially agree. Then follows a list of thirty-eight books. Another paper of great interest is on the importance of British fruit-growing, from a food point of view, by Mr. Edmund J. Baillie.