Review of Loudon's Gardener'' s Magazine. Ill 



REVIEWS. 



Art. I. The Gardener'' s Magazine and Register of Rural and 

 Domestic Improvements. Conducted by J. C. Loudon, F. L.S., 

 H. S., &c. In Monthly Numbers. 8vo., Is. 6d. each. No. 

 LXVIII, for November. 



The first article is "Notes on Gardens in Inverness-shire," 

 and is principally devoted to an account of several kinds of 

 forest trees, their size, &c. 



Art. 2 contains some very judicious "Remarks on the 

 Temper in Avhich Discussions are sometimes carried on." 

 The author alludes to the practice, too general among prac- 

 tical writers, of evading questions at issue, by insinuations 

 and sneers, or by the introduction of irrelevant matter : 



" Seldom, indeed, do we witness that straight-forwardness of charac- 

 ter which leads a man to retract his opinions whenever he finds them 

 untenable, or he glad of an opportunity of stating the smallest altera- 

 tion m his views; but often do we mark the exemplification of a differ- 

 ent principle, which leads a man, rather than confess a trifling error, 

 to treat plain questions with evasion, and arguments with insinuations 

 and assertions. To spend one's life in search of the philosopher's 

 stone would scarcely be more futile than the attempts to arrive at truth 

 by discussion with such individuals. It matters little what course you 

 adopt; for either they cannot, or will not, see the drift of your purpose. 

 You may surround them with a fence of reasoning, to get from which 

 honorably, they must either confess their inability, or at once put forth 

 sufficient energy to lay it prostrate; which can only be effected by bring- 

 ing mind to bear upon mind, and argument to bear u[)on and confute 

 argument." 



The third article is a continuation of a series of designs 

 for laying out suburban gardens, &c. 



The fourth article is on a new method of striking cuttings. 

 We consider this of so much importance, that we copy it, 

 accompanied with the engraving. 



" The sketch, (fig, 5) represents a new mode of striking cuttings 

 which I have jjroved to be far superior to the ordinary practice; and 

 which is so extremely simple, that I think it is likely to be adopted, as well 

 by the amateur cottage matron, with her pinks and wallflowers, as by the 

 professed jiropagater of valuable exotics. It is as follows: — Take a 

 wide-mouthed 4B-si7,ed pot, for example, and crock it in the usual man- 

 ner with broken tiles, &c.; then take a wide-mouthed small sixty, and 

 put a piece of clay in the bottom of it to stop the hole; then place it 

 inside the other, on the toji of the crocking, so that the brims of both pots 

 may be on a level. Then fill in the space between the pots with sand, or 

 other propagating soil, according to the nature of the plant about to be 

 propagated, and let the cuttings' be inserted in the manner here shown 

 (fig, 5), with their lower extremities against the inner pot. Plunge the 

 pot in a cutting frame, or under a bell or hand-glass, in a shady place 

 out of doors, according to the nature of the cuttings and the seasou of 

 the year; and let the inner pot be fiHed and kept full of water. 



