On Our Table — Zymoteclmic News. 



79 



ON OUR TABLK. 



We are crowded with exchanges, 

 catalogues, and all kinds of favors 

 from friends, and confess our utter 

 inability to notice thera all as they 

 deserve, although we would like very 

 much to do so. But a few of the 

 most prominent we cannot omit to 

 notice. 



Second Revised Edition of " Doicn- 

 ing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of Amer- 

 ica. This splendid w^ork of nearly 

 1,900 pages, of the size of a family 

 bible, Avas sent to us by friend Down- 

 ing, and is a striking evidence of the 

 indeftxtigable industry and compre- 

 hensive knowledge of this veteran 

 pomologist. Our readers can form 

 some idea of the vast field reviewed, if 

 we inform them that the index of fruits 

 alone occupies 90 pages, double col- 

 umn. The task, so well begun by A. 

 J. Downing, has been worthily com- 

 pleted by his indefatigable brother, 

 and a sort of awe creeps over us when 

 we think of the immense labor, the 

 earnest research and vast knowledge 

 requisite for such a task. That 

 slight mistakes should occur in a 



work as comprehensive as this, is but 

 natural, and w^e are only surprised 

 that there ai'e not a great many more. 

 Altogether it is an indispensable work 

 to ever}^ pomologist, and the most re- 

 liable guide in nomenclature we pos- 

 sess. 



Scraps. This is the title of a small 

 volume, compiled for circulation 

 among the patrons of the Monthly 

 Statistics. It contains legends, songs, 

 etc., mostly translated from the Ger- 

 man, and the song Noah's Legacy, 

 which our readers will find in our next 

 number^ is a sample of one of the trans- 

 lations. We intend to cull more from 

 its pages. 



Second Annual Report Rllnols Indus- 

 trial University. This seems to be a 

 very flourishing institution, and sets 

 our Scate a noble example to quit 

 wrangling over the location of our 

 agricultural college, but locate it and 

 work it judiciously. It contains 

 many valuable essays from Warder, 

 Hull, Flagg, and others equally well 

 known in horticulture and agricul- 

 ture. 



ZYMOTECHNIC NEWS. 



The first No. of this new 3Ionthly is 

 before us, and contains the following 

 articles: "Chemistry of Fermenta- 

 tion," "Zymotic Fungus," "Racking 

 off Wine," " Improvement of Wine by 

 Electricity," " Calculation of the abso- 

 lute per centage of sugar in Must," 

 "Glj'cerine in Wine." These relate to 

 our specialty, wine ; there are besides 

 a number of articles on brewing, man- 

 ufacturing of spirits, vinegar, etc. 



Mr. Frings informs us, that the first 

 number was unavoidably delayed, but 

 that the second will follow immediate- 

 l}', and that his subscription list is in- 

 creasing rapidly. As the grape gi'ow- 

 ing public needs all the information 

 obtainable on these important subjects, 

 we hail this accession to our list of 

 exchanges with pleasure, being satis- 

 fied that a great deal of knowledge can 

 be culled from its pages. 



