5 DECEMBER 1931, Page 24

There can surely be few garden lovers who are not

familiar .with the original from which Leaves from Gerard's Ilerball are -published (t. Howe, 7s. 6d.), following Mr. Marcus Woodward's admirable arrangement. Every gardener should undoubtedly possess this volume and, if only for the " Sundry Vertues ' which are included, the layman should be just as eager to acquire it, feloniously or otherwise. Who, for instance, does not want to know how "to cure copper FACES" or "to make the heart MERRIE " or (conversely) "to keep a man from being DRUNKE " ? The curious may discover the way " to make young WENCHES look faire and cherry-like," a pleasant contingency which is guarded against by "a con- serve that wonderfully above measure doth comfort the HEART." Gerard did for the garden what Maeterlinck did for the bee, and this attractive edition has now fortunately put him within the reach of the amateur even in these hard times.