Answers to Queries, and Queries. 377 



Books for Garden and Village Libraries. The "Library of Useful Know- 

 ledge," some account of which, accompanied with the warmest appro- 

 bation of its object, has been given in most of the newspapers, is now 

 publishing in Nos. at 6d. each. All that we shall say in favour of this 

 work is, that no gardener, whether master or journeyman, should be with- 

 out it, and that every number ought to be read and studied again and 

 again till the subject is completely mastered by the reader. As these 

 treatises are particularly calculated for " such as are unable to avail them- 

 selves of experienced teachers, or may prefer learning by themselves," the 

 respective subjects treated of will be more readily mastered from this, 

 than from almost any other work. For instance, the first treatise, which 

 is on hydrostatics, is so plain and clear, and so copiously illustrated by 

 cuts, that any person who can read may make himself master of all the 

 leading doctrines. A gardener will find beautifully illustrated (p. 4.) the 

 singular principle on which Mr. Kewley's automaton gardener (E. of G. 

 $ 1490.) operates, and which may be applied to other most important pur- 

 poses. There can scarcely be a cheaper book equally well executed, and 

 as it appears the numbers will not come out oftener than once or twice 

 a-month, every gardener lad may become a purchaser ; and what we chiefly 

 insist on, — may appropriate the knowledge of each No. as it appears, — 

 so as to render it completely his own. 



Employment of Time. — " You should endeavour to impress upon young- 

 men whose every thing in life depends on their own exertions, the im- 

 mense importance of not merely employing every leisure moment, but of 

 employing it systematically, or for a particular purpose. One person 

 takes up some useful or agreeable book every morning at breakfast, and 

 at the end of the year has spent agreeably, and we may say profitably, as 

 many half hours as will come to nearly three weeks ; another always takes up 

 a Latin grammar, and a Janua Linguarum in the same intervals, and at the 

 end of the year has acquired a tolerable knowledge of Latin. Thus you see 

 that whether a young man shall know two or three languages besides 

 his mother tongue, and something of natural history and philosophy, 

 may depend on the seemingly trifling circumstance of how he spends the 

 few spare minutes at the beginning and ending of his meals, from the age of 

 fifteen to twenty.five." (A C.) 



Garden Libraries, it is suggested by "A Practical Gardener," might 

 be formed and supported, and gardeners of superior abilities produced, 

 by masters making it a rule to take no young men as apprentices with- 

 out a premium, and laying out that premium on books, &c. R. G. re- 

 commends small societies or associations of practical gardeners for the 

 purposes of purchasing books, and mutual instruction, something, as 

 we conceive, in the manner of the Leith Walk Linnean Society. An 

 account of this society sent us by G. W. Irvine, Esq. shall appear in our 

 next number. 



Art. VII. Answers to Queries, and Queries. 



Culture of Cyclamen persicum, (vol i. p. 586.) — " Dear Sir, — In answer 

 to your letter, stating that your correspondent, Mentor, complains that I 

 do not state what is done with the bulbs after they have done blowing, I add 

 the following particulars. After potting, and finding them well established 

 in the pot, in full foliage, &c, I place them under glass, with as much air as 

 they will bear, and water in proportion. The only difficulty to encounter 

 is during the months of November and December, which, if very moist, 

 some attention is required to keep the leaves from damping off. The only 

 preventive is air, and as little water as the plant will exist upon. By this 

 mode of cultivation, they will blossom very early in spring, especially if 



