69.

No. XVIII. for April, contains

The Golden Reinette Apple. Excellent, not to be confounded with the R. dorée of the French, nor with that of the Dutch, both of which are distinct, and equally deserving of cultivation. Bears unusually well in our climate, and its blossoms suffer less from spring frosts than those of many varieties. Ripens in the end of October, and keeps till the end of January. 70. The Frizzled Filbert. Of all the nut tribe the most deserving of cultivation; hardy, productive, beautiful when in the husk, and its flavour not materially different from that of the white filbert. Originated in a garden at Hoveton, near Norwich; named frizzled, from the appearance of the involucrum or husk, and now common in the nurseries.

71. The Princess of Orange Pear. Raised by the Comte de Coloma, in 1802, of great beauty, good quality, and in perfection in October. It bears freely upon either a pear or a quince stock; and, blossoming late, is less exposed to spring frosts than many other kinds.

72. The Seckle Pear. "Found to exceed in excellence of flavour the very richest of our autumn pears, possessing a high vinous aroma, which can scarcely be compared with any thing in fruits, unless with a concentration of the taste peculiar to the Swan's Egg." Ripe from the end of August to the middle of October, but only keeps a few days. Sent by Dr. Hosack, of New York, to the Horticultural Society, in 1819.

No. XIX. for May, contains

73. The Royal Peach. Magnificent; ripening about the latter end of September, and by far the most valuable of our late varieties. There is no doubt whatever of the identity of the Royal, the Bourdine, the Têton de Venus, and the Late Admirable.

74. The Grey Doyenné Pear. Scarcely so good as the White Doyenné; but the grey will keep longer, and possessing also much excellence of flavour, may perhaps be considered the most useful. A great bearer, grafted on the quince, and very handsome.

75. The Napoleon Pear. Raised by Dr. van Mons, at Louvain, and thence sent to this country in 1816. Excellent, and universally admired. A profuse bearer upon an east or west wall, and succeeds also as a common standard. (Vol. I. p. 56.) Ripens in the middle of November, and remains in perfection several days.

76. The Dutchess of Angoulême Pear. Said to have been found wild in a hedge near Anvers: ripens in the end of November, and often attains a large size. "The very finest of the late autumn pears." An early and sure bearer, grafted on the quince, and trained against an east wall.

Abercrombie's Every Man his own Gardener, &c. &c. The Twenty-third Edition, with great Improvements, and the whole Art brought down to the Present State of Horticultural Knowledge. By James Main, A. L. S. London. 12mo. 7s. 6d.

Our correspondent and colaborator, Mr. Main, states, in an advertisement to this twenty-third edition, that his additions are "as much extended as the limited nature and approved plan of the work would admit,” and that " every material improvement is introduced which is either useful or necessary in such a work." Mr. Main has introduced twenty-two methods of training trees, illustrated by figures; heating by hot water (p. 60.), an invention which, he says, was "first hinted at by Dr. James Anderson, in his Agricultural Essays;" some excellent observations on the culture of the pine-apple (p. 131 to 133.); on the sea-kale (p. 209.); on cauliflowers (p. 436.); on peas (p. 561.); and the catalogues at the end are remodelled, and the botanical names accented. In short, the book is made as complete as its nature, limits in size and price, and the present state of the art admit. If, on a more careful perusal, we find any thing not already given in

this Magazine, or in our Encyclopædia, we shall extract it for the benefit of our readers.

Mean, James, Head Gardener to Sir Abraham Hume, Bart.:

1. The Practical Gardener's Companion; or, Horticultural Calendar, containing the latest Improvements in Horticultural Practices. To which is annexed, on a Plan never before exhibited, the Garden Seed and Plant Estimate. Edited from an original MS. of J. Abercrombie, Author of the "Practical Gardener," and other works. London. 2s. 6d.

2. Abercrombie's Practical Gardener; or, Improved System of Modern Horticulture, adapted either to Large or Small Gardens; designed to assist those Gentlemen who manage their own Gardens. Third Edition, revised, with Additions and the latest Improvements. London. 12mo. 78. 6d. boards.

Stephens, George, Drainer, Member of the Nerecian and Wermlandska Agricultural Societies in Sweden: The Practical Irrigator; being an Account of the Utility, Formation, and Management of Irrigated Meadows, with a particular Account of the Success of Irrigation in Scotland. To which is added, a Practical Treatise on straightening Water-courses, protecting River Banks, and embanking low Lands. Edinburgh. svo. 7s. 6d. boards.

The author here" lays before the reader the result of more than twenty years' experience in the practice of irrigation, &c., in England, Sweden, and Scotland," which he hopes "may prove the means of introducing" these practices more extensively into Scotland. He does not profess to have discovered any new principle, or any new application of principles already known; but " having been frequently applied to by those for whom he has had the honour of converting land into irrigated meadow, straightening water-courses, protecting river banks, and embanking low land, for a prac tical account of the different methods," &c. &c., "in compliance with these wishes he lays before the public the following practical essays."

We have looked over these essays, which are short, plain, and practical, and chiefly contain accounts of what has been done by the author in different parts of Scotland and in Sweden. It is gratifying to see confirmed the great utility of irrigation, in the mountainous districts of the Highlands of Scotland, and in the cold climate of Sweden. In fact it is clear, from the general experience on this subject, that wherever grass will grow, it may be made to grow more abundantly by a judicious irrigation, which, in the most unfavourable cases, at least adds heat in winter, and moisture in

summer.

"In the year 1808 I was employed to survey, with regard to draining, a large tract of boggy land, belonging to Mrs. Grill, of Soderfors Iron Manufactory, in the province of Upland, in Sweden. After having taken a general view of upwards of 300 Scotch acres, I found about eighty lying nearest the large river Dal, coming from the province of Dalcarlia, well situated for irrigation; and although there was nothing of the kind in the country previously to that time, the proprietress, at the first suggestion, determined, whatever the expense might be, to have an irrigated meadow formed, complete in all its parts; for she was confident that draining in the first place, and afterwards irrigating for grass, would undoubtedly be one of the greatest improvements to a country where the summers are so generally very dry, and of course hay very scarce.

"The whole of this tract was reclaimed from the bed and overflowing of the above-mentioned river, by a very expensive embankment about sixty years before; but the drainage had been so badly executed, that what was not covered with water was a perfect bog, over which it was impossible for

a person to walk without sinking up to the knees; which made the whole crop on eighty acres only 1150 stone.

cr

Forty acres were formed into an irrigated meadow late in the spring of 1809, which injured the surface so much that the crop was the same as it had been previously to the formation.

"In 1810, the hay crop on forty acres was 4000 stone; within that year the other forty acres were formed into shape for water meadow, and in 1811, the hay crop on the whole was 11,250 stone; in 1812, the frost damaged the crop so much that the whole was only 4550; and in 1813, the crop was 11,250 stone; but had not the frost, on the 21st, 22d, and 23d of June, very much damaged the grass, the crop would have been one third more. The hay, since the commencement of the irrigation, is twice as good in quality, and I have not the least doubt, if the works are kept in proper repair, that the crops of hay and aftermath are double what they were at the time of the original publication of this account, in 1814, at Stockholm, in the Annals of the Swedish Royal Academy of Agriculture. The expense of forming this meadow, according to the value of our money, was 300l., or nearly 47. per acre.'

"About forty acres of the Craigintinny lands, near Edinburgh, were formed into catch-work water meadow before the year 1800; at which time they were let at from 20l. to 30l. per acre, per annum. In the spring of 1821, thirty acres of waste land, called the Frigate Whins, and ten acres of poor sandy soil were levelled and formed into irrigated meadow, at an expense of 1000l. The pasture of the Frigate Whins was let previously to this improvement for 40l. per annum, and the ten acres for 60l. They now bring from 151. to 20l. per acre, per annum, but may be much improved by judiciously laying out 200l. more in better levelling that part next the sea, and carrying a larger supply of water to it, which might be easily done without prejudice to the other meadows. This, perhaps, is one of the most beneficial agricultural improvements ever undertaken; for the whole of the Frugate Whins is composed of nothing but sand, deposited from time to time by the action of the waves of the sea."

Hogg, James, Author of the Queen's Wake, &c.: The Shepherd's Calendar. London. 2 vols. 12mo. Price 14s.

Martin Doyle, M.: Hints originally intended for the Small Farmers of the County of Wexford, but suited to the Circumstances of many Parts of Ireland. London. Pamphlet. 1s.

Robinson, P. F., Architect, F. S. A.:

1. Designs for Ornamental Villas. London. 4to. 41. 4s.

2. Rural Architecture, consisting of Designs for Ornamental Cottages, Lodges, Dairies, &c. 31. 3s.

3. Designs for Ornamental Farm-Buildings. Parts I. to VI. 6s. each. To be completed in Twelve Parts.

The first two of these works have procured a very high reputation for the author as a picturesque designer. The object of the last is to improve the form of agricultural buildings, without affecting the convenience of the plan. "The designs already published [by others] enable the bailiff to erect the buildings in the most convenient form, and to place them exactly where they should be. Admitting this, it may seem strange that any thing more should be considered wanting; but it is the external form which I conceive may be improved upon, without affecting the plan; and it is the success which has attended my hints upon cottage architecture, which has induced me to turn my attention to this subject. With a strict regard to economy, therefore, and with a view simply to imagine forms which may be agreeable

certainly the windows are too small and too gloomy for the climate of England. No. IV. is a cottage in the Swiss style, with the same accommodations, but with a far projecting roof (fig. 69.), which, in

perspective, has a very excellent effect, and is quite characteristic.

No. VI. is an English

mo

nastic barn, more like a drawing from a ruin than an elevation to work from; and not much can be said in favour of No. VII., a sort of Dutch barn with an Italian campanile at one end, the result of which is neither character nor effect.

No. VIII. a Swiss cow-house. Very poor.

No. IX. a circular granary; "the outline of which would remind the traveller of the temple of Venus in the kingdom of Naples, on the coast of Baia; the roof assuming the form of the temple of Vesta."

No. X. a rustic cow-house.

Poor.

No. XI. Rustic cattle-shed (fig. 71.), we should think hardly worth publishing. No. XII. a rustic seat. No. XIII. The plan of a farmyard, such as is frequently to be met with in Northumberland and Berwickshire, but rarely in the south of England. The plan of the dwelling-house attached to it is objectionable from having the three fire-places of the ground-floor in the exterior walls. The barn, we think,

ought to have had a threshing machine; but the rest is good. Perspective elevations are given of the buildings in the old English, Swiss, and Italian styles, which are very picturesque as sketches; but we cannot recommend them as architectural designs.

No. XIV. Plan of a farm-house, without a pantry, dairy, or storecloset of any kind. Two elevations, however, in the old English style, are handsome and characteristic.

(fig. 72.) There is an elevation also in the Swiss style, and another in the Italian

manner.

No. XXXIX. is a plate of fences; and No. XL. of rustic seats.

No. XVII. is a Swiss mill and bridge; in which we cannot but regret the bad taste which introduced a miserable line of six posts,leaning

as many different ways, and joined by a crooked line of rails; as if it were the business of the architect to imitate vulgar and defective construction. This design is introduced by the following remarks:-" The mill has, at