aud prudence profefs for each other, the ftrength of which is fo great as to induce them to speak of each other upon all occafions with exact and impartial juftice; frequently to vifit each other, if near, at which times they give their opinions on politics and the affairs of the neighbourhood without fear of any inconvenient circumstances arifing from the confidence and freedom with which they speak; or if at a distance to keep up an intercourfe by letter at leaft twice a year: nay fo far may it operate in the breaft of the wifeft man, that fhould his friend want money to make a purchase, complete a fum to lay out upon a mortgage, or for any other advantageous purpofe, he may, upon receiving his bond and fecurity, be prevailed upon to lend it him, provided he has it by him, or can raife it without much trouble or lofs. And should an account of the death of the one be brought to the other, it might probably make him grave for a whole day, except fome bufinefs or party in which he was engaged obliged him to throw off fo improper and ufelefs a propenfity. This is not the kind of friendship of which I am speaking, but that lively, fweet, and confidential affection by which two, three, or more (for there is no caufe for confining it to a particular number) fenfible, virtuous, and amiable women are united. I fay women, for in spite of vulgar prejudice, or the little pert fatire of the witlings, I aver that women are as capable of perfect and lafting friendship, nay more fo than the men.' The happiness which refults from warm and tender friendship is more fweet, interefting, and to complete all, lafting, than any other which we can ever hope to poffefs; and were a juft account of anxiety and fatisfaction to be made out, would, it is prcbable, in the eye of rational eftimation, far exceed the fo-much boafted pleasures of love *.'

"Madam!

You have a noble and a true conceit

Of god-like amity."

And it is our fincereft wish that yourself, and every other perfon who can feel and acknowlege its excellence, may long experience the great, the unspeakable bleffings which it has to beftow!

HORTICULTURE.

A.B.

Art. 22. The Univerfal Gardener's Kalendar, and Syftem of practical Gardening; difplaying the completeft general Directions for performing all the various practical Works and Operations neceffary in every Month of the Year, agreeably to the prefent most improved fuccefsful Methods; with a comprehenfive Difplay of the general Syftem of Gardening in all its different Branches. Comprehending the Kitchen Garden, Fruit Garden, Pleafure Ground, Flower Garden, Shrubbery, Plantations and Nurfery, Green Houfe, Hot Houfe, and Forcing Houfes, &c. By John Abercrombie, upwards of forty Years practical Gardener. 496 Pages. 12mo. 5s. bound. Stockdale. 1789.

*It must not be forgotten, however, that true love is perfect friendship.

Art.

Art. 23. The complete Kitchen Gardener, and Hot Bed Forcer; with the thorough practical Management of Hot Houses, Fire Walls, and Forcing Houfes, and the improved Modern Culture of the Pinery Stoves, and Pine Apples; being a thorough practical Dif play of thefe moft capital Branches of Gardening in their general Culture, and agreeable to the prefent greatly improved Modern Procefs; whereby that moft importantly-ufeful Diftrict the Kitchen Garden, and all its Appurtenances of Hot Beds, Hot Hoafes, Hot Walls, Forcing Houses, Pinery Stoves, &c. and the Culture of their feveral various Productions in fuperior Perfection and greatest Abundance, are fully explained in a Manner never before done for general Inftruction, as requiring a particular diftin&t Explanation; and now first completely accomplished, from the Refult of above forty Years daily practical Experience and Obfervation. By John Abercrombie, Author of Every Man his own Gardener, commonly called Mawe's Gardener's Kalendar; but the Work of J. A. only. 12mo. 509 Pages. 5s. bound. Stockdale. 1789. Art. 24. The Garden Vade Mecum, or Compendium of general Gardening; and defcriptive Difplay of the Plants, Flowers, Shrubs, Trees and Fruits, and general Culture: comprising a fyftematic Difplay and Defcription of the feveral Diftricts of Gardening and Plantations, under feparate Heads; giving Intimations of the Ucility, general or particular Plans, Dimenfions, Soil and Situation, &c. and of the various refpective Plants, Flowers, Shrubs, Trees and Fruits, proper for, and arranged in each District; with general Descriptions of their Nature of Growth, Temperature, principal and particular Ufes, Methods of Propagation and general Culture, in their refpective Garden Departments: confifting of the Flower Garden, Pleafure Ground, Shrubbery and Plantations, Fruit Garden and Kitchen Garden, Green House and Hot Houfe. By John Abercrombie. Small 12mo. 585 Pages. 49. bound. Stockdale. 1789.

As the three last mentioned works are all on the fame fubje&t, written by the fame hand, and naturally require a joint confideration, we have placed them together; and, as we cannot defcend to particular examinations, we have exhibited the titles at large, to give their author the utmoft latitude of defcribing their contents in his own very diffufive manner.

When Philip Miller, the father of modern gardening, compiled his great work, the Gardener's Dictionary, he afterwards published a fmall neceffary compendium, pointing out the operations in the garden, through every month in the year. This was a moft ufeful remembrancer, not fo much for the profeffional gardener, who could not be fuppofed to need it, as for private family ufe where small gardens are cultivated. When he told us what to do, had he alfo added brief directions how it was to be done, instead of loading his work with monthly dry lifts of fruits, flowers, and herbs then in feafon ; we should not foon have needed another Gardener's Calendar. in this inftance, a little author-craft appeared; he wanted to make his Calendar introduce his Dictionary; and, therefore, where particular inftructions were neceffary, he referred to his Dictionary for

Gg3

But

them.

д

them. But this craft went no farther; he preferved too much profeffional dignity to exhauft himself through the prefs: he did not hash out and dress up the fame things in different modes and forms, and expofe himself to the reproach of grafping at undue literary emolu

ments.

It were well if his fucceffors, who arrive at eminence in the fame line, preferved the like refpect for the public and for themfelves; but by the number of Mr. Abercrombie's publications, and the rapidity of thofe now before us, the prefaces to which are all dated within the fhort space of four months; we must conclude that he bas quitted gardening to cultivate the fields of literature, and a molt afliduous cultivator he is; for, not contented with productions in feafon, he has fhewn us that he perfectly understands the nature of forcing.

Some years ago, a Gardener's Calendar appeared, under the name of Mawe, and others, which is the firft in the lift below; to which the fole claim is now made by Mr. A. and he has fince twice gone over the fame ground again in his own name. We fhall not pretend to enquire into his reafons for fo repeatedly afferting this claim: But the first of the articles now before us, being his third Gardener's Calendar, and being flyled an Univerfal Syftem of Practical Gardening, the fair inference is, that he has exhausted the fubject. Why then does he obtrude on us any more general fyftems of gardening? The obvious answer must be, because the more books he can feil, the better. Accordingly, behold the Complete Kitchen Gardener; and had the Univerfal Gardener's Calendar been a book of bulky fize, and high price, fo much of it as was limited to the kitchen garden, might have plaufibly appeared in a fmall fize and at an ealy price. But why fhould we give as much for culinary ufe only, as will furnifh us with an univerfal fyftem of gardening? And paffing this over; both thefe being pocket volumes, why are we alfo offered a Garden Vade Mecum? The matter must be fubftantially the fame, only differently modified by literary ingenuity. The firft is ftyled an Universal Syftem of practical Gardening; and this last, A Compendium of general Gardening.

Thus much appears on the face of the title pages; when we open the books, we find the Calendar fo far an improvement on the plan of Miller, as to give more particular directions with the injunctions, under the respective departments fpecified in the title page. He informs us in the preface to this work, that as the numerous occur,

Every Man his own Gardener. By Mawe, &c. Rev. vol. xxxvi. P. 484.

Dictionary of Gardening and Botany. lix. 69.

The Garden Mushroom, its Nature and Cultivation. Ixii. 173. British Fruit Gardener. Ixii. 290.

Compleat Forcing Gardener. Ixiv. 473.

Compleat Wall Tree Pruner. Ixxi. 475.

Propagation and Botanical Arrangement of Plants. lxxi. 475. Gardener's Pocket Dictionary. lxxvi. 359.

263.

Gardener's Daily Affiftant, for every Month in the Year. Ixxviii,

To which add the three publications above!

6

ring improvements could be more eligibly introduced in the Calendar order within a moderate compafs, than by any other method of arrangesment, it was adopted accordingly. In the preface to his Kitchen Gardener, he is of another opinion; for he there declares, that by blending the culture of kitchen plants among others in the general bufinefs, the thorough practical culture could not readily be traced, or any particular part thereof, when wanted to confult on any neceffary occafion, nor in that order of arranging the matter, could the complete general culture be effectually difplayed in the requifite practical manner.' Accordingly, in this work all the different fpecies are difplayed, each under a diftin&t or feparate head. To this, an advocate for the Calendar form, in fuch a manual, might reply, that when the culture of any particular plant is fought for, it will be at fome time of the year or other: if in March, the Calendar will tell all that is wanted at that time; if in October, it directs fo much as is wanted at that feafon: we cannot want the whole year at once! More extenfive and connected information, we prefume, would be fought for, and found, in his Gardener's Dictionary. We confefs, that the Calendar form appears to us the best calculated for general ufe.

The third article, or Garden Vade Mecum, is the firft, or Gardener's Calendar, thrown into a different form. We have now the management of the flower garden, fhrubbery, fruit garden, kitchen garden, green house, and hot houfe, treated under these general heads; and the culture of particular articles is more loófely given, by claffing fuch fpecies as admit of the fame mode of treatment. Why the fubject is now thus arranged, we have no farther account, than that it is intended as a general introduction to the fyftematic knowledge of the feveral different diftricts, and that of the various plants, &c. relating thereto.' This knowlege, we imagine, is already poffeffed, in a greater or fmaller degree, by every man who knows how to handle a fpade; and if the author imagines that an uninformed man may become a good gardener, in all thefe departments, by written inftructions, it is certainly a much eafier way than by forty years practice: yet we believe no gentleman having ground extenfive enough to be thus divided, can fafely confide in a man who is not a regularly bred gardener.

We do not impeach the merit of either of thefe performances fingly, but we cannot fee the need of all of them; and confidering them as the produce of one pen, we think they interfere with cach other. However, Mr. A. has now written enough to establish his merit as a practical gardener; certainly more than enough to affift those who practise on a small scale for family use and amulement; we with him, therefore, all that honourable repofe to which forty years exercise of his profeffional duties, and his literary labours, fo jufily intitle him: but we must add, that this repofe may happen to be difturbed by doing too much with his pen.

BOTANY.

N.

Art. 25. Thirty-eight Plates, with Explanations; intended to illuftrate Linnæus's Syftem of Vegetables, and particularly adapted to the Letters on the Elements of Botany. By Thomas Martyn, B.D.

Gg 4

F. R. S.

F. R. S. Profeffor of Botany at Cambridge. 8vo. 72 Pages. 9s. plain, and 18s. coloured. White. 1788.

Some perfons who have approved Profeffor Martyn's tranflation of Roufleau's Letters on Botany, with additions, wifhed that the fubje& might be farther illuftrated with figures. In compliance with thefe wishes, he has published the prefent volume, which, though an entire work of itself, is to be confidered as a fupplement to the Letters formerly published.

Six plates are given, to illuftrate fix letters on the most remarkable natural claffes; the reft explain the artificial claffes of Linné, except one which exhibits figures of various kinds of nectaries.

The figures are very accurate reprefentations of the different parts of the flower and fruit, efpecially thofe that conftitute the claffical character, or are any way remarkable on account of their form or fituation. R...... m.

BRITISH FISHERIE S.

Art. 26. Obfervations on the Herring Fisheries, on the North and Eaft Coafts of Scotland. &c. with piain Rules propofed for curing, and for fupplying the London Market with White Herrings. By Lewis M'Culloch, many Years employed in furnishing the Merchants of London for Exportation. 8vo. pp. 44. 1s. 6d. Richardfan, &c. 1788.

Mr. McCulloch chiefly bends his attention toward illuftrating a branch of the important subject of the British fisheries that has not been adverted to in fo particular a manner by any of those who have hitherto offered their fentiments to the public: viz. the circumftances which are chiefly neceffary to be attended to by thofe who mean to fupply the London markets with herrings. He has chofen, with great propriety, as a motto, the following line from Pope,

"What can we reafon, but from what we know?"

And he fhews himself particularly well acquainted with the fubje&t which he undertakes to illuftrate. He strongly recommends the bufs fishery at fea, in the Dutch mode; and fhews the great importance of curing the fish in a proper manner, and fending them to market at a right time. His directions with regard to the first are partly copied from the practice of the Dutch, and are partly fuggefted by his own obfervations and experience; which laft, we are told, has been very extenfive in this branch of bufinefs.

This is a plain ufeful tract, which every man who has an intention of taking a concern in the eastern fishery should carefully ftudy: it will abundantly repay his pains. A. n.....

NAVIGATION, &c.

.n.

Art. 27. A Report on the practical Utility of Kenneth M'Culloch's improved Sea Compaffes, founded on eighteen Months Experience of thofe Inftruments on board one of his Majefty's Cruizing Frigates in the Channel of England. Small 8vo. pp. 14. 1789.

Whatever invention tends to improve the practice of navigation ought to be favourably received by every British reader. In this point of view, Mr. M'Culloch feems to deferve the approbation of his countrymen,