80 ' Denson^s Peasatifs Voice. 



What is to us the amusing part of the publication is the following quota- 

 tion from the calendarial index for April of the Encycloj^icccUa of Gardening, 

 and the comments upon it : — " Plant evergreen trees, as pine, fir, cedar of 

 Lebanon, holly, and yew during the month, but finish planting deci- 

 duous sorts as early as possible. Wherever the plants are to be, or have 

 been, long out of the ground, take good care to dry up their roots, by ex- 

 posing them as much as you can to the sun and air ; do not be nice in 

 planting." 



" I cannot but think," says our ingenuous-minded and excellent-hearted 

 friend, " that these recommendations have, through inadvertency, been 

 printed ; because they are quite at variance with judicious instructions 

 given elsewhere by the same author, and, as far as I am able to judge by 

 my own experience, or from the dictates of obvious analogy, are opposed to 

 every thing like successful practice." 



Mr. M'Nab is not the only Scotch gardener who has considered the 

 latter sentence taken from our work as meant to be literally understood ; 

 but we must confess that we are surprised beyond measure at this being 

 the case, knowing, as we do, that both Mr. M'Nab and the gardener to 

 whom we allude are well aware of our having been practically engaged in 

 this and other branches of gardening. Other similar passages will be 

 found in our calendarial index, especially in that of the first edition. 



In conclusion, we can affii'm this pamphlet to be well worth purchasing ; 

 and Mr. M'Nab deserves the best thanks of his profession, and of the arbo- 

 ricultural world, for having dispelled the prejudice which had arisen and 

 taken root, both in books and practice. 



DensoUf John, senr. : A Peasant's Voice to Landowners, on the best 

 means of benefiting Agricultural Labourers, and of reducing Poor- 

 rates. 8vo, pamphlet, pp. 80. Cambridge and London, 1830. 2s. 6d, 



We have incidentally mentioned this excellent pamphlet before, and 

 regret that we have not earlier given it a direct notice. It is dear, but it 

 contains a body of facts of great value, all deduced either from the actual 

 experience or immediate observation of the author ; and it is a work which 

 every landowner, every justice of the peace, and every clergyman, as well 

 as every one else who reflects on that momentous question, the disposal 

 of our agricultural labom'ers, should read, and read with attention before 

 he makes up his mind on this subject. 



The reason why he should do this appears in the title itself, which, 

 from perusing the body of the work, we find most apposite, expres- 

 sive, and significant. It is the address of a peasant to landowners, on 

 behalf of those of his own class, his fellow-peasants ; showing how their 

 privations and miseries have arisen from the factitious intervention of 

 other men and other measures between the landowner and the land-tUler, 

 and also that with landowners alone resides the power of correcting 

 so unnatural, so distracting, and so alienating a course. Convinced of this, 

 the author, with a tone of manly vigour, yet at the same time in the most 

 respectful manner, raises his voice, and makes at once, at the fountain 

 head, an appeal, as powerful as it is temperate, as impressive as it is 

 judicious. 



Lord Braybrooke, however, in a pamphlet which we have just received, 

 and shall notice in a future number, is not quite of our opinion, but regrets 

 that Denson does not write in a milder and more conciliating tone. 

 " Nevertheless," says His Lordship, " I have met with no other pubHca- 

 tion in which the system of cottage allotments is so well treated, and 

 upon this ground I recommend the work." — i?. iS. 



