and of Rural Improvement generally^ during 184)]. 577 



Every gardener ought to visit as many gardens as he can ; and 

 the next best thing to visiting gardens is, to read faithful 

 descriptions of them by others. 



The Horticultural Societies, both metropolitan and provincial, 

 continue to flourish, and to increase in usefulness. New rules 

 for the exhibitions of the London Horticultural Society have 

 been adopted {Gard. Chron. for 1841, p. 595.); and a new 

 Metropolitan Florists' Society has been organised. (Gard. Gaz. 

 for 1841, p. 101.) The Provincial Societies appear fo have 

 been paying increased attention to the subject of cottage 

 gardens, and their efforts have been attended with the desired 

 success. The Highland Society of Scotland is also directing 

 its attention to this important subject, and offering prizes for 

 the best kept cottage and garden. The Reigate Horticultural 

 Society ; the Horticultural Society of Swansea and Neath ; the 

 Horticultural Society of the North Riding of Yorkshire, under 

 the patronage of Lord Tyrconnel ; that of Buckingham, under 

 the patronage of the Duke of Buckingham ; and the Glasgow, 

 Stirling, and Falkirk Societies, have been particularly active 

 and successful in adding to the comfort and rational enjoyment 

 of the cottager. The transactions of the Provincial Horticultural 

 Societies have been given so regularly and copiously in the 

 Gardener^s Chronicle, that we have not deemed it necessary to 

 continue our annual abridged notices ; and we therefore refer 

 for details to that journal and to the Gardener^ s Gazette. 



Science of Vegetable Culture. — The periodicals of the past 

 year have been rich in discussions on this subject. At the head 

 of these, in this Magazine, stand Mr. Lymburn's observations 

 on Liebig's Organic Chemistry (p. 97.). An analysis of the 

 same work is given in the Gardener^ s Chronicle, one in the Quar- 

 terly Journal of Agriculture, and one in the English Journal of 

 Agriculture. Dr. Daubeny's Three Lectures on Agriculture (p. 

 270.), and Mr. Lymburn's Philosophy of Manures (p. 335. and 

 408.), belong to the same subject ; and we refer to our table of 

 contents, and to the indexes of the gardening newspapers, for 

 other publications and papers of the same kind. The chemistry 

 of horticulture and agriculture is fortunately at present exciting 

 much attention; and both the Horticultural Society and the 

 English Agricultural Society have commenced, or are about to 

 commence, a series of experiments on the subject, the result of 

 which can hardly fail to be of immense importance both in a 

 scientific and practical point of view. The Duke of Devonshire 

 has liberally contributed the sum of fifty pounds a year, and a 

 few friends of science have also subscribed, towards the expenses 

 of " an enquiry into the Chemistry of Horticulture, more espe- 

 cially, with reference to the influence of soil and manures upon 

 garden plants." This has enabled the Council to nominate a 



p p 2 



