440 Main's Illustrations of Vegetable Physiology. 



Main, J.S., A.L.S. Author of "TheVilla and Cottage Florist's 

 Directory," &c. : Illustrations of Vegetable Physiology, 

 practically applied to the Cultivation of the Garden, the 

 Field, and the Forest ; consisting of Original Observations 

 collected during an Experience of Fifty Years. Small 8vo, 

 328 pages, 62 woodcuts. London, 1833. 85. 



A copy of the table of the contents of this work will best 

 portray its scope : this copy we give. " Vegetation, elements 

 and structure ; organisation, vegetable life ; distinctions of 

 vegetables in the Acotyledoneae, Monocotyledonese, and Di- 

 cotyledoneae ; organic structure of dicotyledonous plants ; 

 sap, seat of vegetable life, origin of buds, appendages of the 

 stem, causes of barrenness ; application of physiological know- 

 ledge to sowing, transplanting, propagation, pruning and 

 training; cross impregnation, vegetable food, diseases of ve- 

 getables, insects destructive to plants, the felling of timber, 

 grubbing, longevity of trees, conclusion." On some of the 

 points in physiology the views of the author are quite pecu- 

 liar ; and, among the facts adduced in relation to these views, 

 and to all parts of the subject, there is much of original and 

 interesting matter. The author, in his preface, thus speaks 

 of his own performance : — " The work will be found a 

 compendium of the discoveries and best authenticated facts 

 which have appeared in the writings of others ; and which 

 have been proved in the practice and experience of the writer, 

 or in that of his contemporaries, during the last fifty years. 

 He trusts that new matter enough will be found to justify the 

 publication ; and though but a rough sketch, which, from his 

 very limited knowledge of chemistry, he has not been able to 

 fill up as he wished, still he entertains a hope that, such as it 

 is, it may receive amplification of an abler pen, and accom- 

 plish his aim of rendering vegetable physiology better and 

 more generally understood." 



A Lady : General Observations on Vegetation, translated 

 from the French of C. F. Brisseau-Mirbel ; to which 

 are added numerous and extensive Notes : intended to in- 

 spire young persons with a taste for Botany, by presenting 

 to them a bird's-eye view of the whole Vegetable King- 

 dom. Small 8vo, 104 pages. London, 1833. 3s. 6d. 



We value this little volume for our own pocket, as a useful 

 remembrancer of many very interesting facts in " Botanical 

 Geography " (as this is the theme, and one of the titles, of the 

 book), but cannot see that it can be enjoyed by young per- 

 sons, or any other persons who have not previously paid 



