Wakefield's Introduction to Botany. 481 



on Wood and Steel. London, 1831. Neatly bound in coloured cloth ; 

 square 16mo. 3«. Qd. 



An elegant manual on floriculture, extremely rich in practical informa- 

 tion. This, and the superior style in which the engravings are executed 

 and the book got up, render it, though small, scarcely dear. We recom- 

 mend it to ladies highly, both for themselves and their children. 



The volume quoted completes Tlie Gmden; but forms one of a series, 

 in course of publication, called TJie Little Library^ vi^hich are to comprise 

 familiar introductions to various branches of useful knowledge. — J. D. 



Walcefield, Priscilla. An Introduction to Botany, jn a series of Familiar 

 Letters; with illustrative Engravings. The 10th Edition : to which is 

 added an Appendix, containing a short Introduction to the Natural 

 Arrangement of Plants. London, 1831. 8vo. %. bds. 

 This agreeable writer's introduction bears in the number of the edition 

 now published a strong testimony of public approbation ; and the work is 

 indeed delightful. The authoress, although herself duly technical, does not 

 alarm the learner by a dry enumeration of repulsive technicalities ; but 

 clothes these with such welcome associations of thought and tasteful (not 

 mawkish) sentiment, as engage our attention through the feelings, and 

 thus at the same time imperceptibly supply the memory with the know- 

 ledge of the technicalities required. 



The same happy method of bewitching us into more apphcation and 

 scientific knowledge than we should perhaps ever have attained had this 

 knowledge been presented to us abstractedly, this authoress has applied 

 in her appendix j where 70 pages are given to the facilitating of the student 

 in acquiring a knowledge of the natural system of arrangement, or, in fit- 

 ter terms, the natural orders. We rejoice at sight of this, and hope to see 

 the natural orders progressively become the pi'ofessed basis of her " Intro- 

 duction to Botany." — J. D. 



Russell, Joseph, of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, formerly an extensive 

 Farmer in the neighbourhood : A Treatise on Practical and Chemical 

 Agriculture; compiled principally from the scientific Works of Sir 

 Humphry Davy, and compared with the Experience derived from a long 

 and extensive Practice, &c. Kenilworth, 1831. 8vo. Sold by the 

 Author, and by Foden, Printer, Warwick. 



The author informs us that, during a " long and very active life, passed 

 wholly in agricultural and chemical pursuits," he has had many opportuni- 

 ties of making observations, and of collecting information on these subjects, 

 which but few other persons have possessed. He lays the result before 

 " his agricultural friends" with great modesty, though "justly proud" of 

 the patronage with which he has been honoured. One of his chief objects, 

 he says, is to show the intimate connection between agriculture and che- 

 mistry. On glancing over the work, we find it to consist chiefly of quota- 

 tions from Sir Humphry Davy, interspersed with original I'emarks. The 

 only one which appeared to us worth noticing is, Mr. Russell's opinion 

 " that white clover ought to be considered as a bad weed on all lands not 

 intended to be kept in permanent pasture." The farmer in the northern 

 parts of the island will recollect that in this part of England the white 

 clover ripens its seed and sheds it ; and every countryman knows that, in 

 pastures, neither cows nor sheep eat the flowers of white clover. Conse- 

 quently where they are not eaten, and ripen their seed, that seed must, 

 sooner or later (and it will preserve its vegetative properties for an unknown 

 number of years) spring up among whatever may be cultivated. However 

 good, therefore, the white clover may be, as a plant for permanent pasturage, 

 Mr. Russell contends that it is a bad plant for temporary cultivation. 



Vol. VII. — No. 33. ii 



