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With regard to the method pursued in the work before us,' to afe the Author's own words, it may be allowable to obferve, that the directions, concerning the refpective articles, are not confufedly' fcattered up and down, in diftant parts of the work, nor are the operations belonging to ONE, confounded with thofe of another: in this Manual the reader will find every Fruit-tree feparately and completely treated of, as to its botanic clafs and genus, its growth, mode of bearing, flowers, fruit, and time of ripening; its method of propagation by grafting, budding, layers, cuttings, fuckers, or feeds; and the different stocks fuitable to the particular nature of the tree, with regard to grafting and budding. All which are pointed out under the name of that fruit-tree to which they respectively be long.

As wall and efpalier trees require fingular care in the different operations of pruning and training, both in Summer and in Winter, thefe works are here explained with refpect to the different ftages of growth, and order of bearing.

Concerning common ftandards, the reader will alfo find ample directions: thefe do not require, indeed, like wall-trees, a general puning; a ftrict attention, however, as well to their early growth, as to their advanced ftate, being neceffary, they were not to be omitted.'

His fubjects are arranged in alphabetical order. The firft that presents itself is,

The Almond Tree, eminent both as a fruit-tree, and for ornamenting the fhrubbery, &c. early in fpring, when in full bloom ; it is the original of the ancient genus Amygdalus, which, by the botanic characters of the flowers, comprehends alfo the Peach and Nectarine, as fpecies and varieties of the fame family or genus; all of which belong alfo to the clafs and order, icefandria monogynia, i. e. flowers containing twenty or more ftamina, and one ftyle.

The botanists admit but of one real fpecies of the common Almond tree, which they term

• Amygdalus communis, COMMON ALMOND; and is botanically defcribed, Amygdalus with Spear shaped fawed leaves, having glands at the bafe and with flowers mostly in pairs, fitting close to the branches, fucceeded by large oval, downy, tough fruit, containing eatable kernels, comprehending feveral eminent varieties, diftinguished by the follow ing names and properties, viz.

" 1. Common Almond with a bitter kernel.

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2. Sweet-kernelled Almond.

3. Sweet Jordan Almond, large and fuperior in goodness.
4. Tender-fhelled Almond.

5. Hard-fhelled Almond.

The fruit, in general, of the Almond tree is valued only for the kernel inclosed in its centre in a stone or nut, it being the only edible part; and is by many greatly esteemed as a choice deffert fruit to eat, as well as for various domestic purposes.

• Confidered as fruit tree, the Almond, in all its varieties, deferves a place in almoft every garden, to encreafe the variety of eat

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able fruits, especially as ftandard and half standard trees, in which they will alfo adorn the premises very confpicuously in fpring, during their general bloom, and fupply us with annual crops of fruit without trouble; ripening in September.

The trees generally affume but a moderate growth, obtaining from fifteen to twenty feet ftature, dividing regularly into many branches, and emitting numerous ftraight fhoots annually; the whole forming a large full head, adorned with long fpear-shaped leaves, and pale red flowers, having five petals, producing flowers and fruit, moftly on young wood of a year or two old, immediately from the eyes of the fhoot.

They flower early in fpring, before the leaves; arifing in a vast profufion all along the young branches at almost every eye, fucceeded by large oval downy fruit, confifting of a thick tough pulp, including an oblong nut or ftone, containing one kernel, which is the Almond, and the only efculent part, as before obferved; the whole arriving to maturity in September; the outer tough cover splits open, and discharges the ftone, with the kernel therein, which is fit both for immediate eating, and to be kept for future use.

• The trees are all hardy enough to fucceed in any common foil of our gardens, in almost any fituation and expofure; and in favourable fprings, when their early bloffom is not destroyed by froft, they generally produce abundant crops of fruit. However, when defigned as fruit trees, they fhould generally be indulged with a fheltered funny fituation.

They are employed principally as ftandards and half ftandards, trained with ftraight fingle ftems, fix or feven feet high for full ftandards, and four or five for half standards, branching out at these refpective heights, all around into regular heads, planted at twenty or thirty feet distance, and fuffered to extend every way nearly according to their natural order of growth; though, for variety fometimes a few trees are cultivated, as dwarfs, for walls and efpaliers, and trained in the order of wall trees, &c. nearly as directed for Peaches and Nectarines, and in which they often furnish larger and forwarder fruit than on standards.'

He next proceeds to the method of propagating them; and then, after pointing out the manner of planting, and the general culture, he concludes with particular directions for the pruning.

There is a ufe in this book we have not yet remarked. By defcribing the genus or fpecies of each tree botanically, it will infenfibly infufe into the reader, who has not yet applied to botanical ftudies, fuch general ideas of fyftematic botany, as may lead him forward to a more intimate acquaintance with that amufing science. There are fome few inaccuracies in the ftyle of this performance, for which candour will make allowances.

C.t.t.

ART.

ART. V. Sermons. By Hugh Blair, D. D.

One of the Minifters of the High Church, and Profeffor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the University, of Edinburgh. Vol. II. Octavo. 6s. Bound. Cadell.

TH

1780.

HOSE who have read the first volume of Dr. Blair's Difcourfes (and we believe there are few readers of fermons who have not perufed them) will naturally form great expectations from his fecond; and we may venture to affure them, that they will not be disappointed. The fame elegance of compofition, the fame beauty and variety of fentiment, in a word, every excellence which marked the firft, is confpicuous in the fecond volume; and cannot fail of rendering it highly acceptable to the friends of rational religion.

The fubject of the firft fermon is-the importance of order in conduct. Let all things be done-in order." The Doctor introduces it with the following very juft obfervation, viz. that order, method, and regularity, whether it be confidered as, in itself, a moral duty, or not, is effential to the proper discharge of almost all duties, and merits, on that account, a greater attention than is commonly paid to it in a religious view.-He proceeds to recommend to his Readers, order in the conduct of their affairs; in the diftribution of their time; in the management of their fortune; in the regulation of their amufements; and in the arrangement of their fociety.

The fecond and third are admirable fermons indeed! the fubject of them is extremely important, though its importance is but feldom perceived by the generality of mankind, who are apt to confider the regulation of external conduct as the chief object of religion.-The words from which the Preacher difcourfes are-Keep thy heart with all diligence, &c. In treating of the government of the heart, he confiders, feparately, the government of the thoughts, of the paffions, and of the tem

per.

The fubject of the fourth fermon is, The unchangeableness of the divine nature. The Doctor introduces it with obferving, that the power, wisdom, and goodness, of the Supreme Being, are founds familiar to our ears, but that we are lefs accustomed to confider him in his immutability, though it is this perfection, perhaps, which more than any other diftinguishes the divine nature from the human; gives complete energy to all its other attributes, and entitles it to the higheft adoration. Good nefs, he fays, could produce no more than feeble and wavering hopes, and power would command very imperfect reverence, if we were left to fufpect, that the plans which goodness had framed might alter, or that the power of carrying them into execution might decrease. The contemplation of God, therefore, as unchange

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able in his nature, and in all his perfections, muft undoubtedly be fruitful, both of inftruction and of confolation to man.

The fubject of the fifth fermon, preached at the celebration of the facrament of the Lord's fupper, is the compaffion of Chrift. That of the fixth, the love of praife, from these words, John xii. 43. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. In difcourfing on this fubject, the Preacher confiders how far the love of praife is an allowable principle of action; when it begins to be criminal; and upon what accounts we ought to guard against its acquiring the entire afcendant. Thofe who afpire after real dignity of character; those to whom the approbation of Omniscience is the higheft object of ambition, will receive peculiar pleasure from this excellent difcourfe.

After fhewing, that the love of praise is, in various respects, a natural and useful principle of action, the Doctor proceeds to confider the arguments which fhould guard us against the improper influence of praise, or cenfure, in the course of our duty.

In the first place, the praife of men is not an object of any fuch value in itself as to be intitled to become the leading principle of conduct. We degrade our character when we allow it more than fubordinate regard. Like other worldly goods, it is apt to dazzle us with a falfe luftre; but if we would ascertain its true worth, let us reflect both on whom it is bestowed, and from whom it proceeds, Were the applaufe of the world always the reward of merit; were it appropriated to fuch alone as by real abilities, or by worthy actions, are entitled to rife above the crowd, we might juftly be flattered by poffeffing a rare and valuable diftinction. But how far is this from being the cafe in fact? How often have the defpicable and the vile, by dexterously catching the favour of the multitude, foared upon the wings of popular applaufe, while the virtuous and the deserving have been either buried in abfcurity, or obliged to encounter the attacks of unjuft reproach? The laurels which human praife confers are withered and blafted by the unworthiness of those who wear them. Let the man who is vain of public favour be humbled by the reflection that, in the midst of his fuccefs, he is mingled with a crowd of impoftors and deceivers, of hypocrites and enthufiafts, of ignorant pretenders and fuperficial reafoners, who, by various arts, have attained as high a rank as himself in temporary fame.

We may eaûly be fatisfied that applaufe will be often shared by the undeferving, if we allow ourselves to confider from whom it proceeds. When it is the approbation of the wife only and the good which is purfued, the love of praife may then be accounted to contain itself within juft bounds, and to run in its proper channel. But the teftimony of the difcerning few, modeft and unaffuming as they commonly are, forms but a fmall part of the public voice. It feldom amounts to more than a whifper, which amidst the general clamour is drowned. When the love of praise has taken poffeffion of the mind, it confines not itself to an object fo limited. It grows into an ap. petite for indifcriminate praife. And who are they that confer this praife? A mixed multitude of men, who in their whole conduct are

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guided by humour and caprice, far more than by reafon; who admire falfe appearances, and purfue falfe goods; who inquire fuperficially, and judge rafhly; whofe fentiments are for the most part erroneous, always changeable, and often inconfitent. Nor let any one imagine, that by looking above the crowd, and courting the praise of the fashionable and the great, he makes fure of true honour. There are a great vulgar, as well as a fmall. Rank often makes no difference in the understandings of men, or in their judicious diftribution of praife. Luxury, pride, and vanity, have frequently as much inAuence in corrupting the fentiments of the great, as ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice, have in mifleading the opinions of the crowd. -And is it to fuch judges as these that you submit the fupreme di rection of your conduct? Do you stoop to court their favour as your chief distinction, when an object of fo much jufter and higher ambition is prefented to you in the praise of God? God is the only unerring judge of what is excellent. His approbation alone is the subflance, all other praife is but the fhadow, of honour. The character which you bear in his fight is your only real one. How contemptible does it render you to be indifferent with refpect to this, and to be folicitous about a name alone, a fictitious, imaginary character, which has no exiitence except in the opinions of a few weak and credulous men around you? They fee no farther than the outfide of things. They can judge of you by actions only; and not by the comprehenfive view of all your actions, but by fuch merely as you have had opportunity of bringing forth to public notice. But the Sovereign of the world beholds you in every light in which you can be placed. The lent virtues of a generous purpofe and a pious heart attract his notice equally with the moft fplendid deeds. From him you may reap the praife of good actions which you had no op. portunity of performing. For he fees them in their principle; he judges of you by your intentions; he knows what you would have done. You may be in his eyes a hero or a martyr, without undergoing the labours of the one, or the fufferings of the other. His infpection, therefore, opens a much wider field for praife than what the world can afford you: and for praise, too, certainly far more illuftrious in the eye of reafon. Every real artift studies to approve himself to fuch as are knowing in his art. To their judgment he appeals. On their approbation he refts his character, and not on the praile of the unfkilled and rude. In the highest art of all, that of jife and conduct, thall the opinions of ignorant men come into the molt ditant competition with his approbation who is the fearcher of all hearts, and the standard of all perfection? The testimony of his praife is not indeed, as yet, openly beltowed. But though the voice of the Almighty found not in your ears, yet by confcience, his facred vicegerent, it is capable of being conveyed to your heart. The foftest whisper of divine approbation is fweeter to the foul of a virtuous man, than the loudest shouts of that tumultuary applaufe which proceeds from the world.

• Confider, farther, how narrow and circumfcribed in its limits that fame is which the vain-glorious man fo eagerly purfues. In order to thew him this, I fhall not bid him reflect that it is confined to a small diftri&t of the earth; and that when he looks a little beU 4

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