526 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



novorthclcss n iminlior of seeds and yoiinu plants 

 ■were placed four Imnrs a day nnder the influcnec of 

 an unusual quantitv of ne<rntivo and pnsiiivc eloetri- 

 city, and it is hardly possible to doubt that some ef- 



fect would have been apparent were the free elec- 

 tricity of the earth and air of so much importance 

 in eonncction with vegetation as has been sup- 

 jioscd. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



I. Transactions of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society. — Our readers will 

 already have noticed the announcement 

 that this Society is about to publish a very 

 beautiful edition of its Transactions, in a 

 serial form, to be issued once in every two 

 months. 



The work will be not merely a record of 

 the exhibitions held, and the business trans- 

 acted by the Society. It will also contain 

 able papers from its numerous regular and 

 corresponding members, embracing by far 

 the largest portion of the practical skill and 

 talent in the country. 



Besides this, it will be richly illustrated 

 with coloured plates of fruits and flowering 

 plants, executed in a very superior manner. 

 These plates will be accompanied by au- 

 thentic descriptions of the varieties repre- 

 sented, and will add very largely to the 

 value, as well as the beauty of the work. 



The literary supervision of the Transac- 

 tions will be undertaken by J. E. Tesche-, 

 MACHER, Esq., a gentleman distinguished 

 for his scientific attainments, and his devo- 

 tion to the interests of Horticulture. In or- 

 der to insure, as perfectly as possible, au- 

 thenticity and correctness in the nomencla- 

 ture and description of the products of hor- 

 ticulture, the Committees of Fruits, Flow- 

 ers, Vegetables, &c., will also carefully ex- 

 amine and arrange all materials on these 

 subjects, before publication. We shall, 

 therefore, confidently expect a work of rare 

 excellence, beautiful execution, and which 

 may be looked upon as authentic, in all 



matters relating to the science of horticul- 

 ttire in New-England. 



The admirable spirit and zeal with which 

 this Society has been conducted, has won 

 for it not only the entire confidence, but 

 also the most generous patronage of the 

 most distinguished citizens of Boston. We 

 must be allowed to say that this is due, in 

 no small degree, to the untiring devotion of 

 mind and body to its interests, manifested 

 for years past by its President, and the tho- 

 rough and practical committees which share 

 its executive labors with him. 



The same force and intelligence will, we 

 doubt not, be carried into this publication 

 of its new Transactions, and we therefore 

 commend the work, with great confidence, 

 to the attention of our readers. 



II. The Coloured Edition of the Fruit 

 and Fruit Trees of America, by A. J. 

 Downing, announced for publication last 

 winter, has been unavoidably delayed by 

 the length of time required by the ar- 

 tists in Paris, engaged in executing the 

 plates. The largest portion of the latter 

 have now, however, been received by the 

 late French packets, and our publishers, 

 Messrs. Wiley and Putnam, New-York, ex- 

 pect to issue the work, complete in one beau- 

 tiful 8vo volume, about the middle of 

 May. 



III. Messrs. Wiley and Putnam have just 

 issued the eighth edition of our Fruit and 

 Fruit Trees of America, in 12mo., with nu- 

 merous revisions and corrections. 



