British Works. 281 



an immense deal of good by explaining matters of this kind to gardeners and 

 their employers throughout Ireland; and by repeatedly visiting the same place, 

 so as to make certain that his instructions and suggestions were carried into 

 effect. It is very difficult, however, to convince a gentleman of the importance 

 of scientific knowledge to gardeners, who has no kind of scientific knowledge 

 himself. 



Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and 

 Commerce, during the Session 1837-8. Vol. L1I. Parti. 8vo, pp.170, 

 woodcuts. London, 1838. 



The most valuable article for the cultivator, in the present part, is one on 

 hoeing wheat, by Col. Le Couteur of the Island of Jersey, whose work On 

 the Varieties, Properties, and Classification of Wheat we have noticed in 

 Vol. XIII. p. 607. In the paper before us, Col. Le Couteur has shown that the 

 proper time for hoeing wheat is when the coronal roots first protrude from 

 the stems, in spring. If these roots, "on emerging to perform their office, find 

 themselves in a hard dry soil," or among numerous weeds, the wheat plants 

 receive a check, and change from a healthy green to a sickly yellow ; but, if 

 at this period " a deep, careful, and rapid hoeing " be given, a sudden 

 and extraordinary change will soon take place, and the plants will be- 

 come of a dark green, vigorous, and spreading. Where land is foul, a second 

 hoeing is required ; but this must be " exceeding light and superficial, merely 

 to skim off any weeds that may have sprung up since the first hoeing, in 

 order not to cut or disturb the coronal roots. Here, then, we have the 

 hoeing of wheat founded on a particular principle ; as the hoeing of field crops 

 generally is founded on a general principle. Col. Le Couteur uses a hand- 

 hoe, formed like the common Dutch hoe of gardens, but with a narrower and 

 sharper cuttins blade. At the end of his paper, Col. Le Couteur mentions 

 that he grew, in the year 1837, 260 varieties or subvarieties of wheat, including 

 the 54 sorts sent us by M. Vilmorin, of which an account is given in our 

 Vol. XIII. p. 45., and which we distributed to Col. Le Couteur, Mr. Taylor 

 (see p. 92.), Mr. Gorrie (p. 24.), Mr. Rivers (p. 23.), and others. Of the 260 

 varieties grown by Col. Le Couteur, he says, " some have ears greatly 

 increased in size, being 8 and 9 inches long, two or three inches longer than 

 their original types ; but the moist weather which prevailed at the period of 

 ripening, discoloured them so much as to destroy their beauty, and almost 

 their resemblance to the parent." 



Another paper in the Transactions describes a " a ball valve for 

 shallow water cisterns," which may be useful in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of large towns, where gardeners receive their supply of water 

 from public companies. There is also an account of " an adjustable step- 

 ladder," which may be found extremely useful in pruning standard fruit 

 trees growing on sloping ground, or on. any description of irregular surface. 

 " Each of the two legs of the step-ladder is furnished with a sliding piece, 

 by drawing out which, the legs may be either equally or unequally length- 

 ened." 



A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines: containing a clear Exposition of 

 their Principle and Practice. By Andrew Ure, M.D., &c. Parts. VIII., IX., 

 and X., p. 873. to p.1334 1 ., which complete the work. 8vo, numerous 

 woodcuts. London, 1839. 



. This excellent work is now completed. In the numbers before us are a 

 great many articles interesting to the gardener and the domestic economist. 

 Mustard, under which the French mode of preparing is given, well deserves 

 the attention of cooks ; Oils, in which a list is given of the plants which fur- 

 nish the principal oils of commerce, the most productive of which are the 

 cocoa nut, next the .Kicinus communis, 7?eseda luteola, the jEuonymus euro- 

 pae v us, and common flax. Pine-apple yarn and cloth is an interesting article ; 

 as is Pit Coal, which occupies many pages, and is illustrated by numerous 



