REVIEWS. 747 
PART II. 
REVIEWS AND EXTRACTS. 
REVIEWS. 
OUTLINE OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF HORTICULTURE. 
BY JOHN LINDLEY, ESQ. F. R. S., &i.C. — 2s. 
It has been long remarked, that " a gieat book is a great evil ;" and 
applied to the prevailing practice of spinning out to an amazing 
length, almost every threadbare subject ; it is jjerhaps substantially 
correct. The author, however, in the formation of the present work, 
will not have to apologize for the commission of this evil ; if there is 
any fault, it is on the contrary side, of not being extended enough ; 
be that as it may, we have no hesitation in saying, that of all works 
on the science of Horticulture, this has by far afforded us the great- 
est satisfaction : and we are convinced, that every attentive reader of 
it, will join with us, to pronounce it the best work of the kind that 
has ever yet appeared. The Author very judiciously remarks in his 
Introduction to the "Orchard and Kitchen Garden Guide." Re- 
viewed p. 110 and 160, that "in all books upon Gardening, a great 
variety of modes of operating are comprehended, each of which has, 
it may be supposed, its own peculiar merit under particular circum- 
stances. In several, the very same mode is repeatedly recommend- 
ed with slight variations of phraseology, in speaking of many differ- 
ent subjects; and it has at last become a common complaint, among 
those who seek for information from books upon horticultural sub- 
jects, that they can find plenty of rules of action, but very few rea- 
sons." This appears to us perfectly correct; and although the cause 
to intelligent men has long been very obvious, all have shrunk from 
the weighty " task" of reducing " the physiological principles, upon 
which the operations of Horticulture depend for their success, to a 
series of simple laws, that could be readily borne in mind by those 
who might not be willing to occupy themselves with the study, in 
detail of the complicated phgenomena of vegetable life. The im- 
