126 Catalogue of Works on Gardening, fyc' 



From the author's knowledge and experience, the work may be safely and 

 strongly recommended as likely to answer the end in view ; notwithstanding 

 its quaint title, the fanciful unfarmer-like titlepage, and the quotations from 

 Shakspeare at the head of each article; all which, we certainly think, are not 

 in good taste. 



Liebig's Chemistry, in its Application to Agriculture and Physiology. 2d edition, 

 with very numerous additions. 



" The author has enriched the present edition with many valuable additions ; 

 allusion may be particularly made to the practical illustration of his principles 

 furnished in the supplementary Chapter on Soils. The analyses of soils con- 

 tained in that chapter will serve to point out the culpable negligence exhibited 

 in the examination of English soils. Even in the analyses of professional 

 chemists, published in detail, and with every affectation of accurac}', the esti- 

 mation of the most important ingredients is neglected. How rarely do we 

 find phosphoric acid among the products of their analyses ? potash and soda 

 would appear to be absent from all soils in the British territories ! Yet these 

 are invariable constituents of fertile soils, and are conditions indispensable to 

 their fertility." 



The following are extracts from the supplementary Chapter on Soils : — 



" The fertility of a soil is much influenced by its physical properties, such 

 as its porosity, colour, attraction for moisture, or state of disintegration. But 

 independently of these conditions, the fertility depends upon the chemical 

 constituents of which the soil is composed. 



" We have already shown, at considerable length, that those alkalies, earths, 

 and phosphates which constitute the ashes of plants are perfectly indispen- 

 sable for their development ; and that plants cannot flourish upon soils from 

 which these compounds are absent. The necessity of alkalies for the vital 

 processes of plants will be obvious, when we consider that almost all the dif- 

 ferent families of plants are distinguished by containing certain acids, differing 

 very much in composition ; and further, that these acids do not exist in the 

 juice in an isolated state, but generally in combination with certain alkaline or 

 earthy bases. The juice of the vine contains tartaric acid, that of the sorrel 

 oxalic acid. It is quite obvious that a peculiar action must be in operation in 

 the organisation of the vine and sorrel, by means of which the generation of 

 tartaric and oxalic acid is effected ; and also that the same action must exist 

 in all plants of the same genus. A similar cause forces corn plants to extract 

 silicic acid from the soil. The number of acids found in different plants is 

 very numerous, but the most common are those which we have already men- 

 tioned ; to which may be added acetic, malic, citric, aconitic, maleic, kinovic 

 acids, &c. 



" When we observe that the proper acids of each family of plants are never 

 absent from it, we must admit that the plants belonging to that family could 

 not attain perfection, if the generation of their peculiar acids were prevented. 

 Hence, if the production of tartaric acid in the vine were rendered impossible, 

 it could not produce grapes, or, in other words, would not fructify. Now the 

 generation of organic acids is prevented in the vine, and, indeed, in all plants 

 which yield nourishment to men and animals, when alkalies are absent from 

 the soil in which they grow. The organic acids in plants are very rarely found 

 in a free state ; in general, they are in combination with potash, soda, lime, or 

 magnesia. Thus, silicic acid is found as silicate of potash ; acetic acid as ace- 

 tate of potash or soda; oxalic acid as oxalate of potash, soda, or lime; tartaric 

 acid as bitartrate of potash, &c. The potash, soda, lime, and magnesia in 

 these plants are, therefore, as indispensable for their existence, as the carbon 

 from which their organic acids are produced. 



" In order not to form an erroneous conclusion regarding the processes of 

 vegetable nutrition, it must be admitted that plants require certain salts for 

 the sustenance of their vital functions, the acids of which salts exist either in 



