282 Catalogue of Works on Gardenings fyc. 



cuts; also Potato, Potash, Pottery, Putrefactions, Pyroligneous Acid, Resin, 

 Saffron, Salt, Scouring, Slates, Soda, Sponge, Stained Glass, Starch, Stone, 

 Stone (Artificial); Stove, in which is an extract of two pages and a half from an 

 article by the doctor in the Architectural Magazine, though that work is not once 

 referred to; Sugar, including Beet-root Sugar and Maple Sugar; Sulphur, an 

 article frequently used by gardeners ; Sumach; Tan, including a table showing 

 the tannin in 100 parts of a variety of substances ; Tea; Thermostat, an ap- 

 paratus for regulating temperature, invented by Dr. Ure, but never, as far as 

 we have been able to learn, used by any one but himself; Tobacco, Venti- 

 lation, Wax, Wells (Artesian), Wheel Carriages, Wine, Wood; and finally Zinc, 

 which may be used for various purposes in gardening, and, among others, very 

 conveniently and economically for plant labels. 



The immense mass of valuable original matter in this volume, and which is 

 to be found nowhere else, must insure it a place in every librar}'. 



Illustrations of Mechanics. By the Rev. H. Moseley, M.A. F.R.S., &c. &c. 



8vo, pp.436, numerous cuts. London, 1339. 

 A Treatise on Mechanics, applied to the Arts ; including Statics and Hydrostatics. 



By the Rev. H. Moseley, M.A., &c. Second edit, improved. 8vo, pp.310, 



numerous cuts. London, 1839. 



The object of these two works is, to explain the mechanical principles of 

 action of the more common objects both of art and nature, to persons who 

 have no knowledge of mathematics, or who have made but little progress in 

 mathematical reading. As far as we are aware, they are the only works 

 having that object which have yet appeared in this country, unless we except 

 Animal Mechanics, in two numbers, published by the Society for the Diffusion 

 of Useful Knowledge, and some parts of Dr. Arnott's Physics. Both Mr. 

 Moseley's volumes deserve a place in every garden library. 



77ie British Almanack of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 



for the Year 1839. 8vo, pp. 96. London, 1839. 

 The Companion to the Almanack ; or Year Book of General Information, for 

 1839. Sm. 8vo, pp. 252. London. 



These singularly cheap and truly useful works continue to appear annually* 

 In the Companion for this year the first paper is on the supposed influence of 

 the moon upon the weather, the result of which is that this difference is very 

 trifling ; at the same time, the author observes, " I think that the determination 

 of any well defined lunar inequality in the atmospheric pressure, however 

 small, would be of great interest," although it would be of no service in prog- 

 nostication of the weather; for " nothing can be so utterly groundless as the 

 disposition to refer the ordinary changes of the weather to the influence of the 

 moon." 



The next article is " On the Electricity of the Atmosphere ; " a long and 

 most interesting paper, containing a general view of the present state of know- 

 ledge on this subject, and from which we shall endeavour to extract the essence, 

 in so far as we think it will be interesting to the practical gardener; premising, 

 however, that, to those who take an interest in the subject, the volume is 

 worth purchasing for this article alone. 



Electricity is an element which seems to be " universally present with all 

 aerial changes, but is yet so far anomalous, that we cannot discover any essen- 

 tial part it has to perform, nor any useful influence which it exerts in the 

 natural system of the atmosphere." Nevertheless the cultivation of the sub- 

 ject, by accounting for particular appearances in a satisfactory manner, may 

 eradicate superstition and prejudice, and may prove practically useful in various 

 ways. The conducting rod, the consequence of Franklin's discoveries, while 

 it preserves houses from lightning, by withdrawing from hail clouds the elec- 

 tricity which, by its instantaneous motions, precipitates the more violent 



