New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-04

4 "a
shoes when friend goes away. During his stay
the guest treats his host and family to coiee, ana
they return the compliment with the same oevft f
| age When they are very good friends the wlie
| will bake bread for them. The principal 1000 Is
reindeer meat but bread butter and cheese are also
| used. The amount of coffee drunk by LaplahuerS
| is very great.
| The work is freely illustrated and a good map
accompanies it in a cover pocket The index Is
meagre and unsatisfactory-a fault the more W oo
| regretted because the extremely varied character
of the contents makes good thorough anaiyticaI
index almost Indispensable.
THE WILD GARDEN; Or Our Groves and Gardens 6i
Made Beautiful by the Hat1Tahzql3H HInstrated
EHo,I1 tiaiis oS w. aSn mn 10 London: The
Garien enc once Il Ne%YorS; Bcri6aer Wexford
OF late years fashion has prevailed among GER
| tain amateurs in horticulture of sowing BROADCAST
quart or so OF the mixed seeds of all the ordinary
varieties of towering ANNALS, and calling the pro
niscuous result Wild Garden" Some natural
dsrcpute clings TO a name which has bad the mis-
! fortune to be affixed to such barbarlsm, but as
used bv Mr. Robinson it represents quite another
| system of planting. This beautiful book is not
plea for gardens allowed to wild, nor indeed loi
| any garden whatever IN the common acccptatoh
of the term. The wildness which IL advocated
means more than the absence of primness ana geo
| mctrical fornality in planting, and more than inc
| decoration OF out-Ofthe-way hooks which uhder
ordinary conditions run to weeds and waste In us
| essence the term is applied TO the use oil haTHy
perennial plants, native and exotic, III POSITIONS
where they can be made to feel at home and he able
TO take care of themselves The true idea oil tIo
Wild Gardeu has been rarely illustrated IN Gull
walton here that il is difficult to cite any eXpana-
cory examples Now and then colony OF crocuNes
and perhaps some scllas snowdrops ana grape
nyacinths are seen Frightening the turf with each
returning spring instead of being planted in row
in the border to be dug up and dried tn make room
for geraniums in the summer Occasionally too. some
tall specimens of our native swamp lily uilum
Superbum) are found towering above the glossy
foliage of n rhododcndron group instead oil rising
from the raw earth Of a flower bed But the hap
pie>t Illustrations are the beautiful accidents
which occur III wild naturc-chance sheets of
snowy hloodrnot bloom covering the spaces be-
tween sparsely growing trees, groups of trilum at
the base OF a rock arrowhead and caIdlna! Hover
and ladies' trNsas masscd together 10y Hook side
mountain deli purpled WIRE asterS, or the orange /
colored frut OF the climbing bttcrsweet glowing IN
early November among the pale blossoms of the
witch hazel.
OF course the examples found in nature are COM |
hinatlons of the plants which grow IN particular |
locality But the woods and meadows o. the whole |
teIupcrate zone. as well the mountain Hanks of |
the tropics where they rio toward the perpetual |
whose charre are 50 infinitely varied as to bc quite |
beyond the 81 aoh of any description Al The in |
dIyiduas of this hardy fora will flourish in the Valid
Gardens Of our climate rs well as native plants. /
There is no situation in sun or shade no sterile MI
or rch meadow bottom or rock crcvlce, where some |
Of them will MT thrive. Every unsEhty stump !
or fallen tree or ruined wall can hc drapcd and |
carlanded with flowing vines. Every thickct and
shady lane ard tro0k side and stretch OF grass.
and every rough and unused spot offers an oppor-
unty for some class Of plants precisely fitted 10 the
given conditions. 1t is Tor these hardy cNoi!cs rs
well as our native wildiucs tina, Mr. Robinson
pl,aGs with strong argument based ample
knowledge. With excellent taste lac shows bow
and where to use the varied forms OF this life,
trailers and twncrs stately and humble. tall
monkshoods and creeping things, which cover the
ground like carpet, setting forth IN elaborate
detail the situations AMI combinations su table Tor
each. Quite as instructive az the text are the Illus
trations by Mr. Parsons who's" studies from nature
are drawn with singular force and feeling.
The wonder grows while examining tEcsr e.
auisltc and suggestive engravinGs that the ELECTS
portrayed are so rarely in cultivation. II is
marvel not only that a class Of plants which pos
ec,s so much beauty so sparingy used, but that
they are hardly ever planted under conditions
where they will thrive, aud with surroundings
where they Will appear to the best advantage. \
careful study of the Wild Garden will show how
many flowers which as individuals are almost in
significant can be made TO produce the most charm
ing effects by grouping and combination. The !
mania for masses Of color which has striped our |
lawns with ribbon lines and SMASHED them with !
blotchcs of coens has driven out of fashion and out
of cultivation OF the finest old garden layortcs
and checked the Introduction Of others which
not garng or snowy. Ii IS To be hoped tuat tho |
appearance of this book Is a prophecy that OF
more refined taste is at hand. 1t VIII accomplish
worthy work if 1t does 40 than stimulate the
domestication of the plant beauty that runs wild
all about us The latest novelty in gcranums would
be no more novel practically than domcsicatcd |
group Of dog-tooth vIoicts or yellow lady slippers
or trollus large lowered bclIwort the pale lilac
of houstonia or the dccp true blue Of our native
mertcnsa. But going little further away from
home the West and South will furnish genuine |
novelties for all who desire them. 1t is only yes
terday that the finest primrose in North America
was discovered in Ncw-Mcxico. Within a few years !
new lilies and tuberousrootcd dcphinmni and |
erythronums have been introduced to cultivation |
from the Pacific Coast, with new clomatldD and |
other plants from the South and West which ARE no
better indeed for being new But certainly If We |
naturalize these distant inhabitants of own !
continent and group them IN our grounds to stay |
along With plants from the Alps and Iiimaayas tins
will prove quite as pleasant method of establish |
Jug friendly relations with nature stocking our
conservatorcs with stove-plans from the tropics. |
1t is impossible to read Mr. Robinsons book and |
study its striking Illustrations without being con
vnced that there is not "a country place where the
idea of the Wild Garden cannot be carried out to |
some satisfactory extent. Even in small suburban |
grounds the fringe of shrubbery will afford OPP |
portunlty for much ingenuity and experiment in |
this direction while city parks under skilful |
and sympathetic treatment would have an added !
element of beauty. In all cases, too this delightful
phase Of gardening has the merit Of permancnce, |
which carries with it the merit Of economy, for
10 thn o. nnnrishcs in