NEW PUBLICATIONS. 275 



New-York, and similar institutions throughout the country ? We 

 know not. 



On page 343, " Chemical Examination of the Rice Plant and 

 Rice Soil of South Carolina. By Charles U. Shepard, M. D. &c." 

 This same article was published in this Journal, in the month of 

 I January, 1844, as an extract from the Southern Agriculturist, in 

 which paper it first appeared ; and was reported as part of the 

 Transactions of the Agricultural Society of Winyaw and All-Saints, 

 in South-Carolina. Mow by some means it becomes, without one 

 word as to its source, part of the Transactions of N. Y. S. Ag. Soc. 



But we notice, also, a very important part of the Transactions 

 wanting. We refer to the action taken by the Society in reference to 

 the introduction of agricultural studies into the common schools. 

 There is some mistake here, something wrong. We think it would 

 have been as well to have left out some things that do not belong 

 there, and supply their place with some that do. This subject is 

 only incidentally noticed in the volume ; whereas, considering the 

 amount of interest which has been for some time past felt in it, we 

 think more notice should have been taken of it. 



2. We have occupied more space than we proposed, in consider- 

 ing the foregoing point. We shall be more brief in the rest. In 

 giving our opinion of so large a work, it cannot be expected that we 

 should point out all that is wrong. If we give prominent examples, 

 it must be sufficient. We are complained of, then, because we said 

 there were portions of these books which " had better been left out." 

 We recur to page 241 of the volume for 1843, " The Geological 

 Survey of New-York," &c. Do not let us be understood as ques- 

 tioning the use of geological knowledge to the farmer ; but it is only 

 a particular kind, however, which can benefit him, and that not of 

 fossils. Of what importance to him are these 86 pages of paljeon- 

 tology ? Besides, the figures of these fossils had been already given 

 by the State three times, and once in Silliman's Journal. There is 

 nothing, in the whole character of the article, in the least agricul- 

 tural. The subject is only referred to twice, and that only inci- 

 lentally. 



But the Secretary for that year makes an apology for the article 

 )eing introduced, as follows : " It is due to Prof. Hall, to state that 

 ,his paper was drawn up by him, by request, for the State Agricul- 

 ural Society ; less time being allowed him than is justly required 



VOL. II. — NO. II. N 



