The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-11 00:00:00

pliShed a few years ago, is little less than 11,000
feet high. He one day returned to his home, and
said that he had been up the Zug Spitz. 'Every-
body laughed at him ; this hurt his feelings very
much. He said nothing, but set off again, was
absent several days, came home and told the people
that he had been up the Zug Spitz again, and if
they looked they would see a pole at the top. No
one believed the tale now more than before, but, on
looking with their glasses, there, sure enough, was
the pole stuck on the highest point. Thus he not
only found his way up the mountain, but bare-
footed and without any food, dragged a small
tree up after him. He after this exploit ascended
the Spitz Berg, being the only person that ever
succeeded in the attempt. We find also some
amusing extracts from old books of Venery, in
which the most marvellous powers are attributed to
the stag and other animals of the chase; amongst
other wonders the stag is supposed to live 100
years, to eat serpents when ill and old, to have a
bone in its heart, &c. The work is embellished
with several engravings by Horschelt, which are
beautifully executed, representing various scenes
in the mountains and the reader, on closing the
volume, will lay it aside for re-perusal.
Tht, Book

be ..,00k, of the Garden. By Charles M'lntosn,
F. R. P. S. P.R. S. S.A. In 2 volumes. Vol. 1.
Blackwood.
This is the first volume of one of the most com-
twaobrksota
parlepteeaarendd. exlttenissinvoe onni thiscal
treatise,
butthat
is hasde
voted to a practical consideration of the
and arrangement of fruit gardens—the walls, hot-
houses, pits, frames, &c. The different styles
of flower-gardens, also, engage the author's atten-
tion. The directions given are likely to prove
eminently useful, especially as they are the work
of an undoubted authority. Mr. M'lntosh being
a member of three horticultural societies—the
London, the Caledonian, and the Massachusetts,
and late curator of the Royal Gardens of the King
of the Belgians. The utmost exactness is observed
in the treating of the different subjects, and one
chapter is entirely devoted to " practical dia-
grams explanatory of the rules for laying out
gardens." This first volume is entitled structural,
and relates to first principles, such as the manner
of laying out the grounds, the building of the
walls, the heating of the hothouses, and the details
of the construction of different edifices. So tho-
roughly has the subject been treated that it con-
tains 776 pages and 1,073 illustrations, many of
them plates of a large size. It has been publishing
for some time in five shilling parts. We presume
the second, which is now in course of publication,
will contain instructions to the uninitiated relating
to the management and preservation of the garden
when it is at length arranged, laid out, and the
style of the flower-garden fixed upon, which would
not be an easy task, from the variety and elegance
of the specimens appended. The following account
of the different national styles is interesting :
"During the dark ages, gardening, like all other arts,
languished ; but upon the revival of learning, the inven-
tion of printing, and the Reformation, commerce began
to flourish and peace to prevail ; and Italy shared, to a
certain extent, in those blessings. The family of the
Medici revived and patronised the art of gardening in,
Italy ; and their gardens, which were of the geometric
and architectural styles, long served as models for most
of Europe, and continued to be imitated in France,
Germany, and Britain, until the introduction of the
English, or, as it has been called, the natural style—the
conception of Bridgman, Kent, Wright, Browne, Eines,
Price, Knight, and Repton, aided by the pens of Addi-
son, Pope, Shenstone, George Mason, Whateley, Gray,
and Mason, the poet.
" Garden architecture, so far as hothouses are con-
cerned, has made little progress in the south of Europe,
because the climate is naturally sufficiently warm to
render them all but useless. There are, however, in-
stances of planthouses both in Spain and Portugal, as at
Madrid, Coimbra, and Montser.at. These countries
are, at the same time, not deficient in architectural gar-
dens, having, it is presumed, on the authority of Jacob,
still the remains of Moorish gardens existing. Other
travellers inform us that the walks of their gardens are
paved with marble, bordered with parterres planted
with evergreens, and shaded with orange trees ; and,
however strange it may appear to us, they have con-
trivances under these walks by which they can force up
jets of water between the joints of the pavement ; and
as Sir John Carr remarks, they take much pleasure in
directing the water of these reversed showers acrainst
ladies.' Fountains, alcoves, terraces, statues, trellis-
work, temples, grottoes, covered seats, and bowers are
the principal features of Spanish and Portuguese gar-
dens. The Dutch and French styles of gardening very
much resemble each other, the characteristics of both
being symmetry and abundance of ornament. The gar-
dens of the former are more confined, crowded with
frivolous and often ridiculous embellishments, and almost
invariably intersected with canals of still and frequently
muddy waters. So partial are these people to water
even to this day, that however limited the space it must
have its place. The humidity of the climate being fa-
vourable to the growth of green swa-...d, we see there
grassy walks, terraces, and slopes ; and these, with their
straight ca.nals, may be said to furui the really distinctive
character of their grounds. The French style may be
said to have arisen about the middle of the seventeenth
century, during the luxurious reign of Louis xrv. In
this reign the arts in France flourished, and that of gar-
dening received a fresh impulse by his munificence and
the talent of Le Notre, the most celebrated gardener of
his time in Europe. Le Notre's style rapidly spread in
all improving countries. The celebrated gardens of Ver-
sailles constituted his grandest effort. Landscape gar-
dening, and the adoption of the English or natural style,
were, soon after their establishment with us, introduced
into Germany ; and, whether from a greater amount of
baronial wealth, the spirit of enterprise, or the love of
imitation, it is certain that greater progress has been
made in the art in that country than in any other on the
Continent.

In Russia, although the climate is adverse, many of
the nobles are rich, and they as well as the Emperor
have most extensive hothouses and gardens. The intro-
duction of a taste for either cannot be carried back be-
yond the time of Peter the Great. Within that period
all the styles of garden already noticed have been in vogue ;
at present, the English style introduced by the celebrated
Empress Catherine about 1768, is the most popular."
It will be seen thatthe author possesses a thorough
knowledge of his subject, and he has succeeded in
presenting a most compendious and instructive
volume to the practical gardener.

The Modern Housewife or Menagere. By Alexcs

Soyer.
Alexis Soyer is not only one of the notabilities of
the present day--one of those whose names are
" familiar in our mouths as household words," but
a substantial benefactor of the community in his
generation. Not restricting the refinements of the
cuisine to the epicure and the man of wealth, his
gastronomical doctrine is eminently popular, and
numberless are the grateful disciples of his art
among the intelligent middle classes of the British
empire. The " Modern Housewife," recently pub-
lished by Messrs. Simpkin and Marshall, is a volume
of exceeding practical utility. It comprises nearly
one thousand receipts for the economic and judici-
ous preparation of every meal of the day, and those
for the nursery and sick-room ; with minute direc-
tions for family management in all its branches.
Considerable improvements and additions have
been introduced into this edition, and there can he
little doubt but that its sale will be commensurate
with its merits. From M. Soyer's pages may be
learned the practicability of combining culinary
economy and excellence, and hence they deserve to
be adopted as a vade mecum by all families desirous
of domestic comfort and regularity. Some useful
hints upon carving poultry, and " Soyer's Chari-
table Cookery," first published in 1847, during the
author's mission to Ireland, are added to the volume,
which is illustrated with numerous engravings, one
of which, illustrative of a letter on the physiology of
tarts, pies, and pie-crust, presents two striking por-
traits—one "of an apple-pie as it ought to be,
taken from still life"—the other, " of an apple-pie
in a fit, as they often are, taken from real life."
Deploring the present barbarism of the pie
manufacture, the inditer of the epistle impresses
the necessity of amelioration, in a process,
so universally, but so inartistically practised.
" Believe me," says Hortense, " believe me, I am
not jesting, but if all the spoiled pies made for the
dinner of one single Sunday in London were to be
exhibited in a row, near a railway line, it would
take above one hour, by special train, to pass in re-
view those culinary victims ; therefore see the im-
portance of the subject. If we could only rescue
every year in proper standing half a mile of pies
and pie-crust, I think we should deserve a piece of
plate, or, at least, a piece of one of our disciples'
pies. Gaze with admiration and horror on these
two family portraits."
It is unnecessary to enter into a detail of the fea-
tures of a book which will find its way into the
hands of everybody, and we shall conclude our brief
notice of this excellent and valuable production of
the Napoleon of Cooks, by transcribing a curious
calculation of the quantity of food consumed by
an epicure in a period of 60 years. Hear the in-
structive and suggestive observations of the
cg Modern Housewife" on this head, and then
ac-
knowledge the importance of economy and
atten-
tion in the preparations of the viands which are
necessary to a healthful and comfortable existence.
onWhat is lif?e, after all, unless good digestion wait
appetite
"I shall propose to take 70 years of the life of an
epicure, beyond which age many of that class of bon
vivants' arrive, and even above 80, still in the full enjoy-
ment of degustation, &c. (for example, Talleyrard,
Cambac6res, Lord Sefton, &c.) ; if the first of the said
epicures, when entering on the ,tenth spring of his ex-
traordinary career, had been placed on .an eminence,
say, the top of Primrose-hill, and had had exhibited be-
fore his infantine eyes the enormous quantity of food his
then insignificant person would destroy before be attained
his 71st year---first, he would believe it must be a delu-
sion; then, secondly, he would inquire where the money
could come from to purchase so much luxurious extra-