247 



set of Dr. Warder's book and keep them on hand 

 and at hand for the use of their committees. It is 

 a pitiable sight to a true Pomologist, and a laugha- 

 ble sight to a mere looker-on, to observe a lot of 

 " Committee men " disputing about the name of a 

 fruit with nothing but the memory of a thousand 

 varieties to guide them. "This is the King ap- 

 ple," says one; " not at all," replies the other, " it 

 is the Queen." But another declares it is "the 

 Duke ; " while another is quite as certain that it is 

 the "Duchess." It is not ignorance. The most 

 really learned Pomologists give these funny amuse- 

 ments free to the spectators. We would make it a 

 sine qua non with a committee man on apples that 

 he take Warder's bo )k along with him. If he was 

 too learned for that, he might go his own way. 



The Yegetable World. By Louis Figuier, 

 American Edition: D. Appleton & Co., New 

 York. 



It is a trait of modern science, that its professors 

 aim to make it popular. The past generation 

 flew to the highest peaks of learning, and only dis- 

 played the treasures of its ne^t to those who choose 

 to climb up the rough and rocky crags of Greek and 

 Latin, and the rugged cliffs of Scholastic lore. Now it 

 descends to the level of the common apprehension. 

 It lays its eggs not only for "gentlemen," but for 

 all classes and conditions of life. 



And the great public is not slow to appreciate 

 this condescension of science. There are thousands 

 who have not time to study the Sciences minutely 

 who yet wish to be accurately informed of the gene- 

 ral principles ; and when scientific men themselves 

 undertake to prepare such works they find them 

 well appreciated by the public. In England, 

 "Hard wick's Science G-ossip," the "Popular 

 Science Review," and other works of this character 

 are having a very successful run ; and in our own 

 country the labors of Professors Gray and Agassiz 

 amongst others, have been popularly successful. 



This work of M. Figuier is of this character. 

 Although the author is not distinguished for his 

 own scientific attainments, he is a laborious compi- 

 ler from the best sources, and by the aid of an ex- 

 cellent artist has produced a work of very great 

 popular value. For the vast part of his materials 

 those familiar with the writings of Lindley, Hum- 

 bolt, and other learned men, will see the author is 

 indebted ; but they are so popularly displayed, and 

 generally so correctly, that the work may be taken 

 as one of high scientific merit, dressed in a garb so 

 popular that all ages and classes who may desire to 

 have a succint knowledge of the vegetable world 



will find profit in its perusal, — and no library will 

 be complete without a copy. 



Messrs. Appletons' deserve great praise for their 

 enterprise in introducing this magnificent work. The 

 expense of preparing over 450 first-class engravings 

 must have been heavy, but the public will we have 

 no doubt well sustain them. 



There is one thing we would suggest to the pub- 

 lishers, which, in another edition, will very much 

 improve the book. We suppose this is an exact 

 reprint of the English translation ; and as it has 

 been no doubt proof-read from that, "copy" has 

 been followed, and the consequence, there is 

 scarcely a page ic which there are not typographi- 

 cal errors and mistranslations which greatly mar 

 the value of the book as a popular work. An 

 American scientific proof-reader who will follow 

 accuracy independently of copy, employed on the 

 next edition will remedy this. It reads very funny 

 to an American that his Solidago is called in his 

 country the "Golden Birch,'" instead of Golden 

 Rod. The " Birch " being a noted element in the 

 instruction of English youth, it was perhaps natu- 

 ral for an English translator so to translate verge 

 d'or, but this an American proof-reader would cor- 

 rect. How the translator made the Dewberry 

 [Ruhus coEsius) have hlue flowers (page 45^) we 

 cannot so well explain. At 321 we are told of LiliacecB 

 ' ' they are herbaceous plants, shrubs, or trees with 

 bulbs, tubers, Bhizomas, or fibrous roots. They are 

 all water plants, with erect leafless stems, etc. The 

 sentence we have italicized must be a mistransla- 

 tion or a transposition, as a tree " with erect leaf- 

 less stems" cannot apply here. It seems to us that 

 perhaps Butomacj^a and Liliacea have been con- 

 foun led together some way, but this makes it no 

 better for the general reader; while the typographi- 

 cal error (page 366) which gives " Caryas " (Hicko- 

 ries) " are deadly poison " when Caricas are meant, 

 may be the means of circulating a grievous error 

 about our timber trees. 



Small Fruit Culturist. By A. S. Fuller, New 



York: Orange Judd & Co. 



A well printed and illustrated octavo of 275 pages, 

 giving the results of Mr. Fuller's experience and 

 observations on the culture of small fruits. 



It is a common proverb that " Doctors disagree,'' 

 and especially is this true of fruit Doctors, no two 

 of whom agree as to the best way of treating any- 

 thing, if we are to judge by reports of discussions 

 at fruit meetings. But after a careful perusal of 

 Mr. Fuller's book, we can say we think he has been 

 fortunate in hitting on the true medium or com- 



