REVIEW. 
749 
appreciating every circumstance connected with the fact in question, 
or to constitutional peculiaries in particular species, which, like ani¬ 
mal idiosyncrasy, form exceptions to the ordinary laws of nature, 
and baffle all philosophy. 
The propositions are upon the same plan as those of an elemen¬ 
tary work on Botany, entitled “ an outline of the first principles of 
Botany,” which was originally drawn up for the use of the Botanical 
class in the university of London, which, from its having reached a 
second edition in this country—translated into French and German, 
and republished in North America, may be supposed to have an¬ 
swered the purpose for which it was intended, that of “reducing the 
first principles of botany to their simplest form.” A similar object 
has here also been kept in view ; the author’s intention not having 
been to write a book on the Philosophy of Horticulture, but simply 
to point out in the briefest manner, consistent with clearness, what 
the fundamental principles of that philosophy have been ascertained 
to be. The application of these principles has been in all cases, 
very concise ; but there will be no disadvantage if the work acts as 
au exercise of the reasoning powers, as well as a guide to practice. 
The plan of its arrangement ought by no means to be lost sight of, 
being every way calculated to assist the reader to retain in his mem¬ 
ory what he has read. It consists of 369 propositions explaining 
the different phenomena of the vegetable creation, placed under fif¬ 
teen heads or chapters, treating first, on the general nature of plants; 
second, of the root; third, stem ; fourth, leaf-buds ; fifth, leaves ; 
sixth, flowers ; seventh, sexes; eighth, fruit; ninth, seed ; tenth, sap ; 
eleventh, air and light; twelvth, perspiration; thirteenth, cuttings; 
fourteenth, scions; and fifteenth transplantation. The whole is 
brought into the small compass of seventy-two pages. It may per¬ 
haps, be thought that several points have been omitted, which it 
would have been desirable to introduce, such as the influence upon 
vegetation of electricity, manures, pruning, training, and the vari¬ 
ous modes of grafting. But it is possible that a little consideration 
may show that these subjects do not strictly come within the scope 
of the present work. In the first place then a distinction 
must be drawn between the art and the science of Horticulture; 
the former teaches the manner, the latter the reasons of cultivation, 
and it is to the latter only that these propositions apply. 
Secondly, the plan of this sketch excludes every thing that is 
merely speculative, or that is incapable of being reduced within cer¬ 
tain fixed principles. Electricity is a power of which we know al¬ 
most nothing certain with reference to vegetation : if many things 
