and ofBural Imp-ovement generally, during 1836. 627 



to the utmost of our power. It is highly gratifying to us to ob- 

 serve the spirit with which this subscription has been entered 

 into at Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and Gottingen. (See Annales de 

 Fromont^ and Otto's Garten Zeitung, vol. iii. p. 294-.) 



Garden Literahtre. — A work on landscape-gardening, by 

 Prince Piickler Muskau, from which we have given copious 

 extracts, contains some remarks which may be useful in Ger- 

 many ; but the work is strikingly deficient in every thing that 

 relates to fundamental principles which would be of universal 

 application. Dennis's Landscape-Gardener is written with great 

 carelessness, considering that its author is a clergyman, and is 

 of litde value in either a scientific or a practical point of view. 

 The best agricultural work which has appeared in the course 

 of the year is Lawson's Agriculturisf s Manual, which every 

 gardener who acts as a farmer or land steward ought to pro- 

 cure. Two new botanical periodicals have been commenced, viz. 

 the Birmingham Botanic Garden and the Botanist ; and the 

 Floricidtural Magazi^ie, by Mr. Marnock of Sheffield, adds 

 another to the number of provincial magazines already in 

 existence. The excellent work of Mr. Royle, on the Botany of 

 the Himalayan Moimtains, &c., of which nine parts have 

 already appeared, will be completed with the tenth part, at the 

 end of the year. Of the foreign garden literature, it may be 

 sufficient to observe, that, with the exception of a work on fruit 

 trees by Van Mons, and Otto's Garten Zeitimg, there have been 

 very few books published, either in France or Germany, that 

 are not mainly made up of translations ; or, as in the case of the 

 American Garde7ier's Magazine, of verbatim copies of articles 

 from English books. 



RURAL IMPROVEMENT GENERALLY. 



Agriculture is certainly in a prosperous state in Scotland ; 

 and, from the increasing intercourse between the influential en- 

 couragers of agriculture in England and the first agriculturists 

 of the north, great improvements may be anticipated throughout 

 both countries.* 



\ * Mr. Handley, well known for his exertions with a view to promote the 

 employment of steam in cultivating the soil, in a speech made at the public 

 dinner of the Highland Society of Scotland, in October last, adverting to the 

 present state of agriculture in England, expressed a wish that a " public 

 body like the Highland Society of Scotland existed there, to stimulate the 

 activity of the farmers, and take the lead in improvement." He hinted, and 

 the Scotsman, from which we quote, adds, he " might have stated in the 

 broadest terms, that such an institution would do more good to the landed 

 interest than fifty parliamentary committees. The value of the Highland 

 Society is not to be measured by the premiums it bestows, or the immediate 

 effects of its patronage ; but by the spirit of improvement which it spreads 

 abroad, and the activity it gives to the circulation of useful ideas among a 

 class of men whose situation renders them, in most countries, the slaves of 

 prejudice and routine. So rapid and easy have the means of communication 

 now become in Scotland, and so numerous are the intelligent active minds 



