take off half the number of those who were born in England, is now reduced to a trifling danger, by the providential discovery of vaccination. Much of this is owing to the advancement of science, and much also to the better mode of living among our people, the more wholesome food, the more cleanly habits, the more regular and orderly conduct of men in general. We have therefore much to be thankful for in our condition, which those before us had not: and if our numbers are becoming so much greater, it only imposes upon us the duty of greater industry and prudence to obtain a living. It does no become impossible; but it requires more constant attention, and a greater exercise of our mind and reason, as well as the labour of our hands. Talent and management are now absolutely necessary if we would improve our condition, or even live in comfort; and no one can expect to prosper who is not content and desirous to exert himself to the utmost.

But this is no hardship, nor just cause of complaint. God has given man the gift of reason, that he may employ it in managing his affairs, and procuring himself the necessaries of life. He must not only labour with his hands, but form plans and schemes with his head, by which he may very often with less labour produce more abundance than could have been obtained by mere hard work in another manner. It has been by the exercise of talent and thought, as well as industry, that the ground has been brought to produce sixty times as much wheat as it did in former days; and the same talents, more matured and experienced, with all the knowledge which every year adds to the stock, may be expected to produce still greater results again. We need not therefore fear on account of our numbers. But there is one true and just cause of fear with regard to them on another account. A large population can only be a blessing to a country, if they are well conducted and religious. An ungodly multitude is the greatest curse a country can sustain. If they continue in ignorance and unholiness, they will weigh down all the happiness of a nation, and then the more they increase, the greater is the danger. Let them be taught in the religion of Christ; let them be brought up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord," and

the more there are the better: they will prosper at home, or else go forth and people the earth abroad, carrying with them the rules of order, and a good government, good morals, and above all the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only source of true prosperity. Let our fears be directed to the right subject, and that is the religious and spiritual state of the youth of our country; let each family be aware of the hopeless state to which their children must grow up, if there be not implanted in them the knowledge and fear of God, and they will then labour to give them the first, and will pray fervently to God to give them the other. Happy is the nation that is in such a case, yea blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God." In that case, we need not fear to use the benediction of Isaac, when he sent forth his son, "God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee that thou mayest be a multitude of people :" or that given to Rebekah," Be thou the mother of thousands of millions."

66

THE CULTIVATION OF THE VINE.

(Continued from p. 324.)

E.

THE shoots of a vine which bear fruit one year, never bear any afterwards.

The old wood of a vine, or that which has before borne fruit, is not only useless, but is a positive injury to the fruitfulness of the plant.

In pruning always cut upwards, and in a sloping direction.

Always leave an inch of blank wood beyond the lowermost bud, and let the cut be on the side opposite to the bud.

In cutting out an old branch, prune it even with the parent limb, that the wound may quickly heal. Never prune in frosty weather, nor when a frost is expected. Never prune in the months of March, April, nor May. Let the general pruning in the autumn take place as soon after the frosts of October as the gathering of the fruit will allow.

Every nail before it is drawn must be driven farther into the wall by a good blow or two, otherwise the face of the wall will be injured by the mortar being drawn with it.

ON REARING VINES.

Vines are raised most quickly by layers, provided the shoots be laid down in pots and planted out the same summer. But vines raised from shoots laid down in the open ground seldom ripen their roots well, and are inferior to those raised from cuttings, and also when the layers are removed, the parent root is considerably hurt: therefore we shall only give directions for raising vines from cuttings.

Select at the autumnal pruning as many shoots of the growth of the year before as are wanted. Choose such as are forward, of a middle size and moderately short pointed; cut thence into convenient lengths of six or eight buds each, leaving at the ends not less than a couple of inches of the blank wood for the protection of the lowermost bud. Place these temporary cuttings about nine inches in the ground, in a warm sheltered situation; the best time to plant them out is about the middle of March, but any time from the first of that month to the tenth of April will do very well. A moderate portion of sunshine, and good shelter from the wind, are absolutely necessary. Before planting them, dig the ground to the depth of eighteen inches, and make the earth very fine. If it be in any degree stiff, take two-thirds of it entirely away, and supply its place with light rich mould or road scrapings. For every cutting put half a spit of well rotted manure.

Cut the shoots into lengths, containing two buds each, and let the uppermost bud have an inch of blank wood remaining beyond it, take the other end of the cuttings and cut them sideways, just below the buds. The length of each cutting should not be less than four, nor more than six inches. The cuttings thus prepared must be planted immediately, for which purpose make a hole with a stick, and put the cutting so that the uppermost bud shall be just even with the surface of the ground,-press the earth close round each cutting, and if it sinks afterwards more must be supplied. The soil round each cutting must be kept constantly moist, for which purpose soap-suds is the very best thing that can be used, but any other liquid manure will do. T. A.

THE MONUMENT OF LONDON.

It was to commemorate one of the greatest and most destructive fires which ever visited a populous city, that the monument of London was erected. In the month of September, 1666, during the reign of King Charles II., a fire broke out in a baker's shop, very near where the monument stands, and never ceased to rage for three days, notwithstanding all the exertions of the citizens to put it out. An inscription on one side of the building in the print informs us of the extent of the damage inflicted by this tremendous visitation. It consumed “ 89 churches, various public buildings, 400 streets, 13,200 dwelling houses! The ruins of the city being 436 acres.' A fire so dreadful as this, we may be thankful to say, has never been heard of in our days: a calamity more shocking can scarcely be imagined; but it is a most remarkable circumstance, that in all this destruction of property there were but few persons burned, notwithstanding the very great danger to which all were exposed. It has been piously recorded thus: "But Providence, mingling mercy with justice, suffered the loss of a very few lives, the sum being estimated at eight only."

After the fire was at an end, the city soon began to be rebuilt, and in many respects much better than it was before. Many of the most beautiful churches in London arose out of the ashes of this fire, under the management and skill of one of the best of English architects, Sir Christopher Wren; the cathedral of St. Paul's being among the number. The monument is a grand and beautiful structure, built by him, according to an act of parliament, close to the spot where the fire began. It stands 202 feet high, and bears at the summit a gilded urn, out of which a great mass of flame is represented to rise. A marble staircase of 345 steps conducts us to the top, from which a very fine view of London is to be seen. The purpose for which it was built is to keep in remembrance what was at the same time a dreadful judgment and a signal mercy of divine Providence, a judgment on the city for its sins, and a mercy in permitting it to be rebuilt and inhabited again in safety and prosperity.

VOL. XXIII.

B b