American Books. — Litcrarij Not ices. 323 



America. 



Legnrre, J. D., Esq., Editor : The Southern Agriculturist, and Register of 

 Rural Affairs; adapted to the Southern Section of the United States. 

 Charleston. In 8vo Numbers, monthly. Vol. I., for 1828. 



This work, which is on the general plan of similar journals, consists of a 

 variety of original papers, reviews, and miscellaneous selections and notices. 

 " Cotton, rice, Indian corn, and sweet potatoes have been for many years 

 the chief objects of culture in the southern states ; the first two as articles 

 of commerce, the last two for food : yet it is very doubtful whether, among 

 the planters generally, there has been much improvement in the method of 

 cultivating any of these crops, if we except that of rice. The method 

 pursued soon after their introduction has been followed but with little 

 variation by each succeeding generation. This has been owing in part to 

 the antipathy which farmers have against all (as they would term it) inno- 

 vations, but more to the want of concert and union among them, and an 

 ignorance of the discoveries which have been made by others interested in 

 the same culture. The formation of agricultural societies will remedy the 

 first, and a periodical journal will do much towards obviating the difficulties 

 arising from the last." 



A leading article through most of the numbers of the first volume is. 

 An Essay on the Culture of the Grape Vine and the making of Wine, 

 suited for the United States, and more particularly for the Southern States, 

 by N. Herbemont, of Columbia, S. C, which we have no doubt will do 

 much good. There are also several well written papers on the culture of 

 cotton (the seeds of which, fermented and distilled, are said to form an 

 excellent whisky), the olive, rice, and Indian corn. The Editor appears 

 to have, as indeed he ought, access to all the standard European works and 

 modern periodicals, and to make use of them with discriminating taste, and 

 a judgment formed both on science and experience. In answer to his 

 letter on this subject to us, we can only offer him our best wishes and 

 tlianks, and refer him, as to good agricultural books, to the catalogue 

 department of this Magazine. 



Art. III. Literary Notices. 



Lists of Flower Shows, we are happy to be informed, will be published 

 as heretofore by Mr. J. Winstanley, 25. Fountain Street, Manchester, who 

 solicits the growers to send their lists to him as early as possible, and free 

 of expense. — March 1. 1829. 



Flora Oxoniensis ; or, A Description of the Native Flowering Plants of 

 Oxfordshire, according to the Linnean Classification, and the most ap- 

 proved Natural Orders : comprising an account of the economical uses of 

 the plants described, their medicinal virtues, and peculiarities of structure, 

 as bearing upon natural theology ; with an Appendix, or Descriptive List 

 of Additional Plants growing wild in the contiguous counties ; preceded by 

 an Introduction to Botany, illustrated by Plates, and serving as a Key to 

 the Work, and to Botany in general. By the Rev. Richard Walker, B.D., 

 Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, Fellow of the London Linnean, and 

 Member of the Oxford Ashmolean Society. 



The Work will be handsomely printed in one vol. 8vo. 12*. 



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