14 REVIEWS. 



readers may judge of the propriety of our remarks. The descriptions of the 

 plant houses, mode of heating by hot water, are also practically plain, and 

 contain some valuable hints, and other particulars, which would be found of 

 much utility to persons constructing houses. 



The third part of the work is Horticulture. (This we shall extract from 

 and insert in our Record Magazine.) There are eleven plans of hot-houses, 

 &c, with remarks on heating and otherwise constructing them. The letter- 

 press descriptions consist of details concerning the buildings, management of 

 them, planting and pruuiDg fruit trees, forcing the cherry, strawberry, &c. 



The instructions given relative to the culture of the fruits and vegetables 

 included in the third part of the work, are plain, sensible, practical remarks, 

 and, as implied in its Title, they are doubtless the results of the practice of 

 Mr. Forbes, aud, we confidently add, of a very clever gardener ; and we 

 hesitate not to assert, that those who follow them will not be disappointed. 

 We most cordially recommend the work, as being both interesting and useful. 



" On the Propagation and Culture of Cape Heaths. — Cape Heaths 

 being of much shorter duration than most other cape plants, it is necessary to 

 have constant recourse to propagation, iu order to keep up the collection, 

 which should be increased by cuttings, and seeds ; the latter forming the ouly 

 means of procuring new varieties. They should be both introduced direct 

 from the Cape, aud saved from those plauts that perfect their seeds iu the 

 heathery or greenhouse, in this country, collected as they ripen, and a general 

 sowing made in the ensuing February, or March. The pots intended for the 

 seeds should be filled about half full with the drainage, and the remaining 

 space with the soil, which should be intermixed, so as it may consist of half 

 peat and half sand, finely sifted, for the depositing of the seeds, and rendered 

 perfectly level, when the seeds may be sown, but observing not to bury them 

 too deep in the soil ; a very slight covering will be quite sufficient. In short, 

 if they are merely covered, it will be all that is necessary. After the seeds are 

 committed to the soil, they should have a gentle sprinkling of water, to settle 

 the soil about them ; which must always be given to the seed-pot by a very 

 fine rose on the watering pot. The seed-pots should then be placed iu a cool 

 frame, where they can be shaded from the midday sun, and the soil in the 

 pots kept in a moist aud vegetating state. As soon as any of the seeds begin 

 to vegetate, and make their appearance through the soil, a little air ought to 

 be given, which will prevent the young plauts from being drawn up weakly, 

 and dampiug ofF. When the seedling plants have attained the height of two 

 or three inches, they should be put into small-sized pots, iu the same soil as 

 was mentioned for the sowing of the seeds in. Five or six plants maybe 

 round the edges of each pot, which should be again replaced in the frame, and 

 kept shaded, until they begin to strike root in the fresh soil, when they may 

 be gradually exposed to the sun and air ; and after they appear to have got 

 well rooted, and are growing freely, they should be put out singly into small- 

 sized pots, with as much of the soil attached to the young fibres as possible. 

 When the plants are young, they will require to be frequently shifted; but 

 this operation must be performed according to their growth, aud as they fill 

 their pots with young roots. 



"But the most general method of increasing the Heath in this country, is 

 by propagating from cuttings of the young shoots, which should be taken off 

 when the wood becomes of a firm texture, when it will not be so liable to be 

 injured by damp, as is frequently the case when put into the cutting pot in a 

 tender state. The best season for putting iu Heath cuttings, is from March to 

 July; but the operator must be guided in this by the state of the shoots which 

 are intended for this purpose. In fact, most of the species will strike root if 

 put iu at any time of the year, provided the cuttings are takeu off when in a 

 fit state. To procure shoots of the less free growing sorts, they may be as- 



