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have exhibited a little more restraint. Ill-natured folk are still to be found 
in the world, and there are many who would be quite malicious enough 
to insinuate that the peculiarity we allude to was merely cant. If divested 
of this feature, Mr. Taylor’s work can be read with both pleasure and 
profit, and we wish it all the success it is entitled to. 
SAXBY’S WEATHER SYSTEM.* 
V IEWING the question from a purely meteorological aspect, we think 
Mr. Saxby’s opinions are deserving of some consideration. He 
advances a doctrine which is “ as old as the hills,” and supports it to a 
certain extent by scientific evidence. The lunar theory is Mr. Saxby’s 
favourite. We believe it to be a hypothesis to which few meteorologists 
pin their faith ; but there can be little doubt that it is one much affected 
by that weather-wise portion of the community — the oldest inhabitants. 
That the moon does influence the weather, we think there are many who 
will agree with Mr. Saxby in admitting ; and though we have not been con- 
vinced by the weight of his arguments or the subtlety of logic, we think, 
as we have said already, that his ideas merit an examination. It is not 
at all unlikely that any opposition which this gentleman has experienced 
at the hands of men of science has been due to the somewhat “ sledge- 
hammer ” mode he has of conveying his views. Moreover, there is an 
exquisitely delicate tinge of self-conceit about the style in which he trum- 
pets his own discoveries (?) that is not in our opinion at all calculated to 
forward his aims. Nothing is more repulsive to the rational mind than 
the constant adoption of the “ Ego et Rex meus ” principle. It is one 
thing to employ a method of this kind with friends, who, in seeing other good 
qualities, forgive the egotism ; but an author should remember that he is 
only known to the public through his writing. Readers will not care to learn 
that Mr. Saxby touches “ the subject with clean hands ” and is “ indebted 
to no mortal for the observations which have led to his discovery of a lunar 
influence on the weather .” Should the author profit by our advice, we shall 
be very happy to say a good word for him on some future occasion. 
SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE.! 
P ROFESSOR JOHNSTON’S treatise has been long and favourably 
known to the agricultural students of this country, and we do not 
think we err in supposing that the present edition will meet with the same 
success as the former ones. It is just the book which may be employed 
* “ Saxby’s Weather System, or Lunar Influence on the Weather.” 
By S. M. Saxby, Esq., R.N., &c. &c. Second Edition. London: Long- 
man & Co. 1864. 
t “ Elements of Agricultural Chemistry and Geology.” By James F. 
W. Johnston, M.A., &c. Eighth Edition. London : Blackwood & Sons. 
1863 . _ ' ' 
“ Scientific Farming made Easy; or, the Science of Agriculture reduced 
to Practice.” By Thomas C. Fle tcher. London : Routledge & Co. 
1864 . 
