160 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



force the study of audi books as the one before 

 U3. We remember that in a Lecture addressed 

 to the Ladies' Botanical Society of Wilmington, 

 Del. (to her great honor, be it known tliat she 

 can boast such an association,) he employs the 

 persuasive remark of the Roman Orator who 

 said — " These studies are the intellectual nour- 

 ishment of youth, and the cheering recreation of 

 age ; they adorn prosperity, and are the solace 

 and refuge of adversity ; they are pleasant at 

 home, and are no incumbrance abroad — they 

 abide with us by night, go with us in all our 

 travels, and lend additional charms to the attrac- 

 tions of our rural retreats." The strongest re- 

 commendation of this study is, in fact, that it is 

 one which is well adapted to xhe female mind, 

 condition and pursuits. " Its cultivation impo- 

 ses no tax upon the feelings, involves no cruel- 

 ty, shocks no sensibility, aU its incidents and at- 

 tributes are promotive of corporeal health and 

 pure intellectual pleasure." 



DowTfTNG's Cottage Residences, Or a aeries of 

 Deeigns for Rural Cottases and Cottage Villas, 

 and their Gardens and Grounds; adapted to North 

 America. 



This volume of near 200 pages, .so well printed 

 and illustrated, which was offered to the Ameri- 

 can and Engli.sh public, by the same Publishers, 

 and which vi-ent to its second edition in 1844, is al- 

 ready too well known and too popular to need fur- 

 ther notice. The plans of buildings and grounds 

 look beautiful on paper, and in any deviation from 

 the common stj-le, if style it may be called where 

 style there is none, there can scarcely be any 

 harm done. One common shame of the coun- 

 try is, that instead of having a portico or piazza, 

 as it is u.sually called in the country, to at least 

 every side of the house exposed to the sun, in a 

 hot arid climate like ours, the body or frame of 

 the house is usually exposed to its intense heat, 

 witliout the protection even of trees. We could 

 find it in our hearts to make such omission in 

 building, any where South of New York, an in- 

 dictable offence. We still want a book or es- 

 say, with illustrations descriptive of the cheap- 

 est houses that can be built for people of the 

 smallest means. How easy would it be to have 

 a portico or roof resting simply on four posts, to 

 even every laborers hut in the land, and what a 

 comfort to have such a place to sit, and have 

 their chOdren playing around them, in the open 

 air, and yet free from exposure to rain, and to 

 the direct rays of a scorching sun ! But the sub- 

 ject is worthy of and shall have more special at- 

 tention. 



A Treatise on the Theory and Peactice of 



Landscape Gardening. 



This is a work by the same author and from 



the same publishers. Mr. Downing is doing for 



ne, who were more in need of such works, what 



Loudon has been doing for England. The 



(316) 



view in the grounds at Blitliewood, Dutchess 

 County, which makes the beautiful frontis- 

 piece to this Treatise, offers an irresistible temp- 

 tation to know^ all about the Book, while it be- 

 speaks our confidence in the fine feelings and 

 taste of the Author. 



His work on Fruit Trees was briefly noticed 

 in our first number, since which, those here re- 

 ferred to have been placed in the Library of the 

 "Farmers' Library." 



1^^ Stewart's Stable Economy has been 

 laid on our table by D. Appleton & Co. Com- 

 prehensive as is the title, tlie book contains 

 much more than it would seem to import This, 

 too, is a reprint from the third English edition, 

 and has the eminent advantage of having been 

 prepared w-ith additions by Mr. Allen of the 

 American Agriculturist, giving it great addi- 

 tional value for American readers. " In editing 

 this work," says Mr. Allen, " I have suppressed 

 a few^ whole pages, all of which were either 

 quite erroneous in matters of fact, or totally in- 

 applicable to tliis country. About the same 

 quantity suppressed, has been added by me, 

 which is enclosed in brackets." 



BLtTHEWooD. — Residence of Robert Donald- 

 son, Esq. of Dutchess County, as represented 

 in "Dotoning's Landscape Gardening." — Of 

 Mr. Donaldson's taste and magnificent spirit 

 for the embellishment of rural life, the public 

 has been well and widely made acquainted 

 in the already justly celebrated work of Mr. 

 Downing on Landscape Gardening, of which 

 Blithewood forms tlie beautiful fi-outispiece. 



As far as the Fanners' Librarj' may circulate 

 and endure, its influence shall not, we are de- 

 termined, be wanting to spread a knowledge of 

 what may be done to promote, in our country, 

 the growth of pursuits that cannot fail 



" To raise the genius and to mend the henrt." ^ 



While the general press of the country is em- 

 ployed, with all its power, in elevating States- 

 men to distinction, and demagogues to the level 

 of Statesmen — while the universal public voice 

 is ready to shout its praises in honor of Military 

 pretensions, let it be tlie province of those whose 

 duty it is to watch over the interests of Agricul- 

 ture, and the arts of peace, to claim considera- 

 tion and precedence for those whose partialities 

 and tastes lead them, like the Proprietor of 

 Blithewood, to illustrate pursuits that tend to the 

 refinement of public sentiment, and the promo- 

 tion of public happiness. Such are the men 

 whom it is alike the interest and the glory of 

 Republics to distinguish. Herodotus, the Father 

 of History, relates what, on this point, it would 

 well become us to remember. He tells as how 



