injured by the manna blight which the latter escaped[41]. The same cause operates to induce late sown grain and wheat, which has been thrown late by much injury of spring frost, to acquire a larger, more luxuriant bulk, than that of earlier growth. It would appear to us that Mr Billington, from ignorance of the value of larch, and of the soil proper for maturing it, has done more injury to the parts of the royal forests where a growth of timber was obtained, by cutting out the thriving larch, than will be compensated by his pruning and training of the sickly stunted oak which remained, as described by him, scarcely visible, when the larches were of size for country use; but we forget; no blame can attach to him—his orders were, that every thing should give place to oak. {191} In parting with our author, it is but just to state, that we consider many may profit by a perusal of his pages: that notwithstanding the simplicity to which we have alluded, there is often something sterling in his remarks and reflections, the result of much experience, resembling the original freshness of our writers before writing became so much of a trade. In some places, indeed, his narrative is so simply, naturally descriptive, and speaks so eloquently, of ignorance of climate, season, soil, circumstance—of all the unknown dangers and difficulties incident to _their_ new employment—and of the wonderful contrivances and inventions hit upon to remedy them—that, when perusing it, we could scarcely persuade ourselves we were not engaged with Robinson Crusoe. {192} IV.—FORSYTH ON FRUIT AND FOREST TREES. The _surgery of trees_, which this author has the great merit of almost perfecting, is the only important matter in this volume. His composition salve, on the merits of which he expatiates so much, and for the discovery of which he received a premium from the collective wisdom of the nation assembled in Parliament, is, however, a piece of mere quackery; and all the virtue of his practice lies in the cutting out of the dead and diseased parts of the tree, thus effecting for vegetables by excision, what nature herself performs for animals by suppuration, exfoliation, and absorption. Mr Forsyth’s surgery is of slight importance to timber trees in respect of economy, as with them as with man, it is generally easier to raise up anew than cure the diseased. Yet it is well that the rationale of this practice be understood by foresters, more in regard to prevention than cure; an occasion will however sometimes occur where a tree may economically be benefited by surgical aid: and in cases where the {193} Dryades acquire lasting attachment to particular objects, the science is invaluable, as the object of their love may be thus continued flourishing to the end of time, or as long as the inamorata chooses to pay the surgeon.