Agriculture.
A very important volume, executed under the auspicesof the Duke of Bedford, has just been published by Mr. Ridg- way of Ficradilly. The genteral object of the publication is so completely'described in *he title page, that by mcrely copy- inig it, our readers will obtain a correct idea of the nature of this useful agricultural work. It is entitled-" Hortus Graminice.s Woburnensis; or, an account of the results of experiments on the produce and nutritive qualities of dif- ferent grasses and other plants, used as the food of the more valuable dornestic animals; instituted by the Duke of j Bedford: illustrated with numerous figures of the plants and seeds upon which these experiments have been made, and practical observationis on their natural habits, aucd the soils best adapted to their growth; pointing out the kindls most prsfitable for ptermanent pasture, irrigated meadowvs, dry or upland pasture, and the alternate hus- bandry; accompXnaniedl- wvith the discriminating charac- tere of' the species and varieties." The experiments on wvhich this work is founded have been carried oni for a series of years at WVoburn Abbey, at the expanse of the Duke of Bedforl, vfho intriisted the care of pub- lishing the results to his gardener, Mr. George Sin- clair, Fellow of the Linnean and Horticultural Societies, &c., and by whom the experiments had been chiefly made. The tility of a work which has for its object to improve and increase the foodl of the animtals most usefal to inan, by accurately distin-guishing the (lifferent species of plants promiscuouslv blended in English pastures, ascertaining their respecti've ualities, and determining the soils on whichl they may be most advantageously cu'ltivatedl, must be oblvious'. Few will refuse to acknowvledge that this is a branch of knowledlge, which, as thc author observes (in his dedication to Mr. Coke, of Norfolk) " is to the inhabit- ants, not of Britain only, but of all the countries within the temperate zones, one of the most important that has ever engagea their attention." But the difficulty of the task which Mr. Sinclair undertook, and has perseveringly and very successfully proseculted, cannot be so obvious: the botanist, who knowvs the great variety of pasturage plants can alone have a right notion of the labour such a work as the present must have acqutired. Martyn, in his Let- ters on the EcmeWn.s of Botany, obser-ves that " Grass vul- garly forms one idea; and a liusbandrman,wvhen he is looking over his enelosure,sloes notlream thatthereareupwardsof300 species of grass, of which 30 or 40 may be at present under his eye." I n fact, nO less that 1,500 species and varieties of grass are described in the present work; 2I5 distinct species are capable of being cultivated in our climate, and 133 are natives of Great Britain. Each of these species diffe'rs iln a greater or less dlegree from the rest- Some grasscs are of little or n1o value to the farmer ; while others, by their nutritive qualities, are to him the sources of pros- perity andl wealth. There are altogether ao plates of grasses andl seeds. * AGRICULTURE.