editor’s table. 
197 
(fitter* b ®able. 
The Book of Illustrious Mechanics of Eu¬ 
rope and America. Translated from the French of 
Edward Foucaud, by John Frost. D. Appleton & 
Co., 200 Broadway. Pp. 344, with numerous embel¬ 
lishments. Price $1. This is an exceedingly interest¬ 
ing and most valuable work, especially for the young 
mechanic. It shows him what has been done by emi¬ 
nent persons in the trades, thus teaching him by ex¬ 
ample what he himself is capable of arriving at, if he 
uses proper industry, economy, and perseverance. 
A Treatise on Milch Cows. By M. Francis 
Guenon, with introductory observations, by John S. 
Skinner. Published by Greeley & McElrath, Nassau 
Street, N. Y. We have not had an opportunity of ex¬ 
amining the living subjects to test the accuracy of the 
wonderful discovery herein claimed by M. Guenon ; 
but a friend of ours in the country, who took the work 
in hand, and looked over three separate herds of cows 
comprising 153 head, embracing all kinds of milkers, 
from very good down to very poor, informs us, that 
the“ quirls ” were far from proving infallible guides in 
distinguishing their good or bad qualities at the pail. 
Observations are now making in various places which 
will fully determine the truth of the criterion. If the 
book prove not true, still it is of value as a commence¬ 
ment of a new kind of observation on the subject. 
And yet we think those tests already well known to 
shrewd judges, of the size and shape of the bag; the 
texture of its skin ; the setting of the teats and their 
number; and the development of the milky veins in a 
calf, are more certain evidences of good or indifferent 
milking qualities, than those here given by M. Guenon. 
A First and Second Latin Book. By Thomas 
Kerchever Arnold. Carefully revised and corrected 
by Rev. J. A. Spencer. From the fifth London Edi¬ 
tion. D. Appleton & Co., 200 Broadway. Pp. 333. 
Price $1. These volumes are the first of a series of 
classical school books on the basis of Ollendorf’s 
much and justly admired system—imitation and fre¬ 
quent repetition—just as a child learns its own 
language. 
A Practical Introduction to Latin Prose 
Composition. By the same author and reviser as the 
above. Appleton & Co., 200 Broadway. Pp 340. Price 
$1. The principal advantages which this work has over 
those of a similar kind are, that it contains a copious, 
but concise illustration of Latin synonymes, and a 
careful and precise notation of the differences of idiom 
between the Latin and English languages. In addition 
to this the exercises are wholly in English. We 
know of none more valuable than the two works 
above, for the elementary scholar. 
Statistics of the Woollen Manufactures in 
the U. S. ; containing the number of woollen manu¬ 
factories in operation in the U. S. ; the location ; with 
the names of the owner, firm, or company; the num¬ 
ber of cards run by each; and the kind and quality of 
goods manufactured, &c. Wm. H. Graham, publisher, 
Pp. 190. Price 50 cents. This is a valuable statistical 
work, and is prepared with more accuracy and fulness 
of detail than we could suppose possible. 
A Guide to the Orchard and Fruit Garden ; 
or an Account of the most valuable Fruits cultivated 
in Great Britain. By George Lindley. With addi¬ 
tions of all the most valuable Fruits cultivated in 
America. By Michael Floy, Gardener and Nursery¬ 
man, Harlem, N. Y. Published by J. C. Riker, 129 
Fulton Street. Pp. 420. Price $1.50 We are pleased 
to hail a new and improved edition of this valuable 
work of Prof. Lindley, Americanized by so experienced 
a pomologist as Mr. Floy, who says, very truly, that 
the superiority of this work consists in the exceeding 
accuracy of its nomenclature. Mr. L. availed himself 
of the facilities afforded him by the gardens of the 
Horticultural Society of London, where fruits of all 
kinds and from all quarters are cultivated, their cha¬ 
racters noted, and their merits or demerits fairly 
weighed. We need not inform our readers that this is 
a standard work, and by the valuable additions of Mr. 
Floy it is almost as necessary to the American as to 
the English cultivator of superior fruits. 
Coal Tar not good for Fruit Trees. —A cor¬ 
respondent in the Ohio Cultivator states, that a neigh¬ 
bor of his had a large orchard of young apple trees, 
planted out one year, and a number of fine budded 
peach trees, some of which had been badly used the 
winter before by the rabbits ; and to all of which he 
applied last fail, coal tar, laid on with a painter’s 
brush, to the height of two feet from the ground. He 
says that he found this “ a fatal plaster,” and they are 
now all dead 1—burnt up, as if aqua fortis had been 
rubbed round their trunks! This is bad enough ; but 
my neighbor, in his unbounded admiration of Down¬ 
ing, had purchased in Cincinnati a barrel of the black 
drop , and insisted upon my using it on some of my beau¬ 
tiful and choice peach trees, which, the spring before, 
I bought of that excellent nurseryman, S. S. Jackson ; 
and they, too, are all dead! 
A Great Layer.— A friend informs us, that he 
has a Dorking hen which laid 142 eggs last year, 
without sitting. She then sat and hatched out a 
brood of 14 chickens.- Who can beat this ? 
An Extraordinary Potato. —A sweet potato, 
raised in this town from seed planted in June, was 
shown to us on Friday last. When first taken from 
the ground it weighed fourteen and three quarter pounds, 
and measured in circumference thirty-four inches. In 
shape it resembled a turnip more than a potato.— 
Newport Rhode Islander. 
A Prolific Cow.—Mr. Benjamin Eaton, of Bow- 
doin, Lincoln County, Me., owns a cow, which, with¬ 
in a year, produced five calves —the last time, three heifer 
calves —which are all in a thriving condition. The 
owner intends raising these for his own dairy. Such 
instances are rare of fruitfulness in cows. 
Bee Feeder. —Mr. Elam Bush, of Shoreham, Vt., 
has just proved a new feeder, constructed by himself. 
The bees feed actively and with perfect safety, when 
the sun shines, even in cold weather. It is a square 
tin box with a glass cover, having a hole through the 
back. This is to be fastened to the hive, so that the 
bees can pass out and into the box only.— N. Y. Mech. 
Sugar Crot. —Mr. P. A Champomier, of North 
Carolina, has published a pamphlet giving the detail 
of the sugar crop of Louisiana last year. The product 
was 136,650 hhds., weighing 207,337,000 lbs. The 
number of planters is 2,077. In 1844 the number of 
hhds. was 191,324, and of pounds 204,913,000. It should 
be remarked, however, that in the above estimate of 
the crop of 1844 the cistern sugar was excluded, while 
that of the past season is included. 
The molasses crop of last year was estimated by 
Mr. C. at 9,000,000 gals. 
Cherry and Peach Leaves Poisonous to 
Sheep. —A farmer lately turned his sheep into a lot 
occupied by some cherry trees, which had sent up 
shoots from the roots; the consequence was, that the 
sheep partook of the leaves of these shoots, and were 
soon seen staggering about the lot and tumbling upon 
their heads. Many of them died, when their stomachs 
were found to contain large quantities of these leaves, 
which, all know, abound with prussic acid , fatal alike 
to man and animals. It should be known, too, that 
the stones and twigs, as well as the leaves of the 
peach, also contain prussic acid, and are poisonous. 
