220 Clegliorn^s Sj/sfon of Agriculture. 



of nianafjement, in rural affairs, and even go so far as to call in to their aid 

 some hukadaisical peripatetics from the IIi<;hland Society to bolster up 

 the monstrous alisiiniity, %vlio sapiently and profoimdly aj;ree that the 

 " Allanton method " is to supersede all other modes of " economical 

 plantinj:," and that it is to produce a new era in " ornamental planting." 



Shailes of Pope and Shenstone! could ye but for once " revisit the 

 flimpses" either of the sun or " moon," how would jour beatified spirits 

 mourn! — ye who, 



" Looking through Nature up to Nature's Ciod," 

 emplo\ing nature's simjjle instruments, realised beauties which could only 

 previously exist in the " mind's eye " of such heaven-born souls, — how 

 would ye mourn (being ignorant of the " Allanton method," as in good 

 truth ye needs n)ust), — how would ye mourn to find your own sylvan 

 scenes' — your own poetic fairy lands — neglected, despised, and depicted 

 but as " possessing things rank and gross in nature merely." Even the 

 maiinificent and hallowed conceptions of England's own blind bard must 

 vanish into " airy nothing" before the Ithuriel touch of these magical 

 arborists. But enough, and more than enough, of this matter. 



We will dose these observations with a short extract from the chapter 

 on prunini;, to show our fellow-labourer Mr. Howden,and others, that our 

 o[)inions respecting the management of tiie pine tribe arc not singular. 

 Tile author says : — 



" 1 am deciilediy averse to pruning any of the fir tribe, except decayed 

 branches, to prevent useless knots in the timber. It is much better to 

 leave all firs to nature, as their sap-vessels are larger than those of hanl-wood 

 trees, and they conse(|uently bleed n)ore when wounded ; besides, it makes 

 a ridiculous and unsightly appearance to [)rune a parcel of fine larch and 

 other firs, as I have fre(|uently seen them, three parts of the way to the 

 top. TJie branches of the larch are weak and tender when planted in 

 mass, and therefore do not cause large knots in the timber; in no case, 

 therefore, should they be touched. The silver fir, the next in value, and 

 in every way one of the noblest of the pine tribe, I have seen primetl, and 

 bleeding from the numerous wounds whicii the ignorant and injudicious 

 hand had inflicted on it. — T/iin out ijourfirs rc^ularhi ; but, no far as re- 

 gards pritnhii!;, hang up t/oiir saw, and lock up i/our pruuiug-knifc. litgular 

 tliinning is more to he recommended for all trees than loo liberal an aj>j)licalioti 

 of the saw or j^runing-knife." — J. Elles. Palace Gardens, Armagli, Jan. 5. 

 1831. 



Clcgliorn, James, Es(|., an Accountant in litlinburgh, late Editor of the 

 " Farmer's Magazine :" System of Agriculture, from the " Encydopiedia 

 ]Jritamiica." Ito, p[). lOG, 7th edit., 13 quarto plates. 1-Alinburgh, 

 1831, Adam Black. 



We have great pleasure in noticing this work, written and |)ul)lished by 

 highly esteemed friends. It may be considered as a s|)ecimen of the new 

 edition of the J'^ncj/cloprrdia JSrilaunica, now |)ublir,hing by INlr. Black, 

 which is un(inestionai)ly far superior to tiie prjcetiing one, in paper, print, 

 and engravings, as well as in matter. We regret chiefly one thing : viz. 

 that instead of engravings on plates separate from the text, and which, 

 being troni)lesome to refer to, are generally not referred to at all, wood- 

 cuts in the body of the text have not been used. \Ve should have preferred, 

 also, a systematic arrangement, somewhat in the style of the Enci/rlnjucilia 

 MetropoUtana. A quarto encyclopa'dia, of twenty or thirty volumes, in 

 which the subjects are systematically arranged, and all the engravings, 

 except those of maps, anil a few views in which aerial |)erspcctive is 

 essentially necessary, done on wood, is a {lesitleratum in English hterature, 

 which we trust will l)e supplied as soon as government reduces the tax on 

 paper. 



