the fibres will be preserved, as the tree is carefully lifted from the ground with a spade. The roots of a tree after it is taken up, should be kept moist, and, if possible to prevent it, should not be exposed for a moment to the rays of the sun. If the tree is not transferred immediately to its future site, the roots should be covered with loose, moist soil, and remain undisturbed till

set out.

The next thing to be attended to, is the digging of the hole and the preparation of the soil for the reception of the tree. The soil should be rich and mellow. If it is not so naturally, it should be made so artificially. It is sometimes desirable, to remove the entire natural soil to a depth of two feet, and within a circle of six or eight feet in diame. ter, and to supply its place with soil rendered rich by compost, and well rotted manure. The expense and trouble of doing this, is nothing in comparison with the advantage gaincd. In a few years, one tree plant ed in soil suitably prepared, will be worth more than half a dozen left to starve in sterile sand or gravel.

The hole to receive the tree, should never be less than four feet in diameter, nor less than eighteen inches deep. It should be filled to near the surface with the richest soil well pulverized. The tree should then be placed upon it, and the roots care fully spread out with the hand in their original position, as nearly as possible, special care being taken with the fibrous roots. An assistant should supply small portions of soil, which the operator should with the hand bring in contact with every fibre, and carefully fill all the cavities and interstices between and beneath the roots. To do this effec. tually, requires some patience, but an extra quarter of an hour bestow

ed on the tree now, will be of more consequence than ten or twenty hours at any subsequent period. The earth is more effectually carried to every little crevice among the roots, by pouring in a part of a pail of water during the progress of filling up the hole. Care should be taken that the tree be not deeper in the earth than it was before. Sufficient allowance is not usually made for the subsidence of the loose soil; hence a large proportion of the trees that are transplanted, are found in the course of a year or two, to be too deep, and it is often necessary to take them up and replant them.

If trees are well set out, it is not necessary to water them subsequently, unless the season should be very dry. Watering trees newly planted, usually does more harm than good. It is well, however, to protect the roots from the excessive heat of the sun, by covering them with a litter of straw or coarse hay.

We have had considerable experience in planting fruit-trees, and have been astonished at the differ ence in a few years, between trees set out in the manner described above, and trees equally good, from the same nursery, carelessly planted in soil unprepared.

Mr. Downing has given some val. uable hints on pruning and training trees and vines, which we would quote did our limits permit. We have only entered on the subject of fruit cultivation, and may perhaps resume it in a future number. In the mean while, we would recommend to all of our readers who own an acre of unoccupied ground, to purchase and carefully study Mr. Downing's book, and put his direc tions in practice; and we think they will find the money expended for it, one of the most profitable investments they ever made.

THIS is a very extraordinary book; we think the most extraordinary book of the kind in the English language. It is an autobiography, which, if it reveal the real self of any man, is always curious and instructive. This, however, unveils to us the inward being of a man of superior intellect, and a heart gentle, sensitive and religious; and reveals it too with a freedom and totality which is often distressing. His history was of romantic interest in its eventfulness and variety, while the anguish and sorrow of the sufferer, which are too often left to be imagined, are here uttered with a distinctness which seems to bring up again the very sighs and groans which each hour of bitterness wrung from him. But more than all, it is fraught with the highest moral and religious interest, as it illustrates the greatest of all matters, the first principles of all faith, and of the Christian faith especially, for it is the faithful record of a series of painful struggles on the part of a thoughtful mind that was educated in the Romish faith, and breaking out from its iron barriers, passed through almost every variety of Christian belief in orderly succession, rejecting each in its order, and ending in a faith, or a no faith, which has no name, unless it might fitly be styled "the everlasting Nay." In this state he died.

Mr. White was born at Seville, July 1, 1775, of Roman Catholic parents of Irish descent, their ancestors having fled from Protestant persecution to Spain. His father and mother seem to have been both bigoted and devout Romanists. He early expressed his inclination for

*The Life of the Rev. Joseph Blanco White, written by himself, with portions of his correspondence; edited by John Hamilton Thom. In 3 vols. London:

John Chapman, 121 Newgate street, 1845.

the church, which inclination was but a boyish desire to be rid of the irksome confinement of the counting house. He was educated for an ecclesiastic, in the usual course of Latin, philosophy and school divin ity, relieved, however, by the Baconian method of reasoning, and a knowledge of modern literature and of rhetoric, all of which were studied voluntarily and almost by stealth. The path to promotion, in the schools and in the church, was early and readily opened to him. He was a fellow in the college of Seville, competed with honor for a canonry in the cathedral of Cadiz, was appointed to a stall in the royal chapel of Ferdinand, and was esteemed as a scholar of high promise. He was ordained priest at the age of 25, and soon became a favorite confessor, with brightening prospects before him for usefulness and eminence. At the age of 27, "just at the period," as he says, "when I was most seriously and conscientiously employed in the duties of my profession," he admitted deliberately the fact that the church had erred. From that came at once the conclusion to which every sincere Roman Catholic in similar circumstances must arrive. "I concluded that Christianity could not be true. This infer ence was not properly my own. The church of Rome had most assiduously prepared me to draw it."

By this conclusion he was thrown at once into a situation most per plexing and unhappy. His nature was too noble to play the hypocrite without revolting. To superadd to concealment, the animal sloth, the voluptuous self-indulgence, cloaked under priestly craft, which are the common accompaniments of ecclesiastic infidelity, was most abhorrent to his feelings. To relinquish his profession was impossible," the law

of the country forbids it, and construes a voluntary relinquishment of all priestly offices into a proof of heresy, punishable with death. Unless I quitted the country, my acting as a priest was inevitable." To expatriate himself would give the blow of death to his parents. His conclusion was to maintain an external conformity with the church, avoiding prominence and preferment, and inculcating the moral duties. Just before his final rejection of Christianity, he was appointed to preach before the brigade of royal carabineers at Seville. His sermon, which was greatly extolled, was against religious scepticism. Soon after he is introduced to "a member of the upper clergy, a man of great reading, and secretly a most decided disbeli ever in all religion." Through him he was introduced to another dignitary, older and higher in preferment, who was a violent anti-christian, a bitter and passionate hater of the Gospel, who, as well as the younger acquaintance, had a secret library of infidel writings, to both of which collections White was made welcome. So valuable were these books, in their estimation, and so great their dread of the Inquisition, that the forbidden volumes were often conveyed to and fro in the sleeves of their canonicals. Le Système de la Nature was thus saved more than once. Blanco White, still a priest, became at last a decided atheist, and such he remained for some four or five years, holding himself aloof from all clerical duties, whether as priest or confessor, by various expedients. In 1807, he became interested in the public disturbances in which Spain was involved by the policy of Napoleon. After many reverses and disappointments, at the approach of a French army upon Seville, he took advantage of the general panic and disorder to leave his country for England, where he arrived March 10, 1810. He sought England as a land of freedom from his con

strained hypocrisy, and free also from priestly domination and ignorance.

It was with delirious joy that he broke away from his prison house, though that prison was his native land. It was with more sober feelings that he found himself alone in England, at the age of 35, with a hundred pounds, a single recent acquaintance, and, above all, with his lips faltering and fettered through his imperfect knowledge of English. He had previously made the acquaintance of several Englishmen of rank and influence, among whom were Lord Holland and Lord John Russell, by whom he was greeted kindly, and who courteously rendered him important services. After sundry projects and beginnings, he became the editor of a Spanish journal, for the publication and prosperity of which the relations of England to Spain at that time were eminently favorable. Though this journal was never the organ of a political party, yet so valuable were its services that the government bestowed upon its editor a pension of two hundred and fifty pounds per annum when its publication was suspended. He was no sooner engaged in this labor, than with the enter prise and ardor characteristic of him till death, he commenced the study of Greek, which he soon discovered to be essential to the education of an English scholar. He also set himself to the study of the Christian religion. In 1812 he conformed to the church of England, having become convinced of the truth of Christianity and being sufficiently satisfied with the doctrines of the church. After studying its articles &c. more carefully, for two additional years, he applied to the Bishop of London to be qualified, by subscribing the articles, for claiming the rites of ordination.

About this time, having ceased from his editorial labors, he settled at Oxford, as a convenient position

for prosecuting the study of Greek and of theology. It was at this time, on the examination of the question of inspiration as the foundation and essential truth of Protestant theolo gy, that his peace was again disturbed, and the serenity of his recent faith was overcast. His residence at Oxford was not long continued. He received the offer of a residence at Holland House, in the capacity of tutor to the son of its noble proprietor. This was accept ed with reluctance, and the situation was a source of suffering and morbid melancholy to his sensitive spirit, till he parted from his kind friends in 1819, with many expressions of attachment on both sides. During this period his mind was agitated with doubts and disquietude in respect to the doctrine of the Trinity, as commonly received in the church of England. In a long confession of his faith, recorded Dec. 21, 1818, there appears very near approximation to some of the conclusions in which he died. He resolved to adhere to the established church however, though with many misgivings. After leaving Holland House, he resided here and there, among friends, and in separate lodgings; till his return to Oxford in 1826. During this interval, he was far from being inactive. In 1820 he wrote the well known "Dobla do's Letters from Spain," which appeared in the New Monthly Maga zine. His public reputation was now widening; his correspondence with many of the leading writers of England dates from this period. In 1825 he published his "Evidence against Catholicism." This was written in reply to Mr. Charles But ler's "Book of the Catholic Church," and as it appeared at a time when the Roman Catholic question was uppermost, it produced a marked effect. It was received with great applause, and no wonder. The au The authority of the writer, as one who spake from his own experience, the

high culture, the gentlemanly bear. ing, the sweet Christian-like spirit, as well as the chastened allusions to his own personal sufferings, he hav ing seen his two sisters immolated by the barbarities of Romanism, and having himself been driven to the madness of atheism, as a refuge from its lies; these considerations, added to the veracity of its testimonies, and the strength of its reasonings, gave an importance and authority to the book which few books on the Romish controversy deserve or receive. This was followed by a smaller and more popular work, entitled "The Poor Man's Preservation against Popery." The reputation attending these works brought him as it would seem into closer contact with leading spirits in the church, and he became himself, as appears from his journals, more believing, at least more acquiescent in respect to its ritual and doctrines. His services had been so important, and his usefulness so unquestioned, that Oxford conferred on him the degree of M. A. by diploma, an honor rarely enough given, and, as it would seem, not given in this case without a little of the growl which this eldest and best beloved daughter of John Bull seems to think the highest form of courtesy, inasmuch as it testifies to the very great value which the receiver should put upon the gift. But it sadly frightened poor Blanco White, for he records that if the opposition in the Convocation had been successful, he should certainly have left the country.

After receiving this degree, he went to Oxford in 1826, intending to reside there permanently. He carried with him excited hopes and a high ideal, expecting to find all that a Protestant university in free England might be supposed to furnish to one like himself. He was admitted to Oriel College, then "one of the most distinguished bodies of the university, and its common room united a set of men, who for talents and

manners

were

most desirable as friends and daily companions." But here, though he met with great kindness, he was chagrined to learn that his rank as an honorary Master was below that of the most recent Fellow, and the prospect very painful to his morbidly sensitive spirit of soon being the very oldest inmate and inferior to all, was keenly humiliating. Cold and perhaps insolent looks were turned upon him, as a foreigner and an interloper, as one would expect from an Englishman at Oxford. He sympathized but little with the dominant spirit of bigotry in the High Church party. He found, however, a congenial spirit in Dr. Whately, then a Fellow, and managed to be quiet till 1829. At that time occurred the contest between Sir Robert Peel and Sir R. H. Inglis for the election of the university, involving the question of Roman Catholic emancipation. The re-election of the present premier, was violently opposed by the High Church party. Blanco White had resolved not to give his vote, but it is worth noticing, was persuaded to do so by a letter from Mr. (now Dr.) Pusey. In giving his vote, he was not only publicly insulted at the poll, but incurred the bigoted wrath of Mr. J. H. Newman. We record here the follow ing from his journal about this time. "Pusey, Wilberforce, Froude came in the evening to learn the order of the Roman Catholic service of the Breviary." These are pregnant hints; but more of them hereafter.

He remained at Oxford till June, 1832, when he took up his residence with Dr. Whately, now archbishop of Dublin, as tutor to his son. During his residence at Dublin, his mind was in the same vibrating state, verging more decidedly to fixed and avowed Unitarianism. It was while he was here that Dr. Neander dedi. cated the third volume of his General Church History to him. He also published an answer to T. Moore's "Travels of an Irish Gentleman," VOL. IV.

31

&c. Notwithstanding his opinions were now decidedly anti-trinitarian, he not only continued in the church, but thought it his duty to write to the Rev. George Armstrong, who had recently avowed Unitarian sentiments, to dissuade him from adhering to the separation. Mr. Armstrong replied in a letter which was too strong for poor Blanco, and the consequence was that he abruptly left the family of his friend in Jan. 1835, and crossed the channel for Liverpool, where he was received by Unitarian friends, among whom he passed the remaining years of his life, and in whose connection he died, May 20, 1841, in the 66th year of his age.

He was at first delighted with the worship of the Unitarian chapels, but does not appear to have remained long in what is usually called Unitarian Christianity. We find him soon reading Paulus' Leben Jesu, and soon after recommending the work of Strauss as more satisfactory, and finally, clearly and without reserve, standing strongly on the ground taken by the naturalists of Germany, that a supernatural revelation is impossible in natura rerum and unsustained in fact. The record of his speculations and of his strong emotions, is of thrilling interest; his correspondence with a female élevée and the comments upon his reading possess a high literary interest, and his correspondence with his newmade friends in America, especially with Drs. Norton and Channing, is interesting for its illustrations of the men and of their opinions. The sentiments which he uttered not long be fore his death, are most affecting: "I have no doubts-I came from God and I go to him. The guide, the light within us is not ourselves, nor dependent on our volitions. There is, then, an infinite source of the rationality we know to be in us, who will receive us to himself.” “I am going, my dear friend—I am leaving you very fast. I have not