LITERARY NOTICES. 



755 



interesting examples of the purest and sim- 

 plest democracy and of well- contrived and 

 enduring republican institutions to be found 

 in the annals of Europe. The two chapters 

 on this country are, perhaps, the most 

 praiseworthy in the whole book ; Calvin is 

 judged without fanaticism, if we overlook 

 the too great importance attributed to his 

 reforms in connection with the freedom and 

 democracy of the country. 



The progress of democracy in the Neth- 

 erlands is followed up in the first two chap- 

 ters of the second volume. " Two aspects 

 of democracy," says the author, " are here 

 illustrated, the growth and political power 

 of municipal institutions and the assertion 

 of civil and religious liberty." He deline- 

 ates the first of these aspects by recounting 

 the civil history of the Netherlands up to 

 the reign of Charles V. ; the second aspect 

 is developed in the description of the bloody 

 measures adopted by Charles V. and Philip 

 II. of Spain to crush out the growing spirit 

 of the Reformation, and in the subsequent 

 struggles of these countries for political 

 independence. The career of William of 

 Orange, the shrewdness and bravery he op- 

 posed to craftiness and revolting barbarity, 

 the fruitless attempts of the persecutors to 

 corrupt him, and the finally successful at- 

 tempt to assassinate this apostle of civil and 

 religious liberty these are necessarily in- 

 terwoven into the story of the struggle for 

 the rights of conscience the first and 

 most memorable of the kind in the world's 

 history. After dwelling at length on the 

 share of freedom afterward enjoyed by the 

 Low Countries, and the subsequent decline 

 of their fortunes, he closes with a short no- 

 tice of ultramontanism in Belgium and of 

 the contemporary prosperity of that country 

 and Holland. 



Report on Forestry. By F. B. Hough. 

 Washington : Government Printing-Of- 

 fice. Pp. 650. Economic Tree-Plant- 

 ing. By B. G. Northrop. From " Re- 

 port of the Secretary of the Connecticut 

 State Board of Agriculture." Pp. 29. 



Dr. Hough's industry in collecting the 

 materials of this " Report " is worthy of all 

 praise ; not less so is the intelligent use 

 which he makes of them. The volume is 

 indeed a storehouse of facts relating to for- 

 estry, and the information which it contains 



is of very great practical importance. The 

 destruction of forests brings about great 

 climatal changes, and the history of Spain 

 and other countries shows how regions that 

 once were fruitful have been changed into 

 barren deserts by the reckless clearing of 

 woodland. The time has come for taking 

 concerted action toward " reforestation " in 

 the United States. Dr. Hough considers in 

 detail many of the problems which present 

 themselves for solution as the compara- 

 tive advantages of sowing and planting, the 

 proper number of trees to an acre, the 

 adaptedness of different species to different 

 localities, etc. ; and Mr. Northrop goes over 

 much of the same ground, though of course 

 less fully, and with especial reference to the 

 needs of the State of Connecticut. On these 

 and sundry other points Dr. Hough quotes 

 the experience of practical and scientific 

 men, giving in full many documents of the 

 highest value. Then follow statistical ta- 

 bles showing the consumption of wood in 

 different industries, for household uses, rail- 

 roads, etc. The relations between forests 

 and climate are discussed in extenso, and 

 Becquerel's " Memoir " on that subject is 

 given in full. A sketch of the " Schools of 

 Forestry " in various European countries is 

 given, with a view to suggest hints for the 

 guidance of forest-conservators in the Unit- 

 ed States. We recommend both of these 

 publications to the earnest attention of our 

 readers. 



A New Cyclopedia of Chemistry, Theo- 

 retical, Practical, and Analytical, as ap- 

 plied to the Arts and Manufactures. By 

 Writers of Eminence, on the Basis of the 

 Late Dr. Muspratt's Work. Illustrated 

 with numerous Woodcuts and Steel- 

 Plate Engravings. Philadelphia: Lip- 

 pincott & Co. 50 cts. per number. 



This comprehensive and valuable work, 

 which is announced to consist of forty parts, 

 has now reached the thirty-fifth part, and its 

 completion may therefore be soon expected. 

 The work has been executed with care and 

 ability, and we have found it useful and sat- 

 isfactory for habitual reference on the ex- 

 tensive and important subjects of chemical 

 manufacture. Its illustrations are numer- 

 ous and elaborate, the text clear and at- 

 tractive, and the treatment of subjects full, 

 copious, and trustworthy. 



