Sketches of Life in the Country," a charming title, certainly, and one that smacks of the man as well as of the country. Eschewing the dryness of scientific forms and erudite details, the author presents detached, but most entertaining, and often very suggestive articles on a great variety of topics-from the "Wild Goose" to "Conscience in the Cow," from the "Value of Lawyers in a Community" to the "Objections to early Marriages." The book is, in fine, quite unique, and just such a one as the farmer would like to pore over at his fireside on long winter evenings.

From the New-York Recorder.

"The Farm and the Fireside," is a most interesting and valuable work, being a series of Sketches relating to Agriculture and the numerous kindred arts and sciences, interspersed with miscellaneous moral instruction, adapted to the life of the farmer.

From the Germantown Telegraph.

We have looked through this work and read some of the "Sketches," and feel a degree of satisfaction in saying that it possesses decided merit, and will commend itself, wherever known, as a volume of much social interest and entertainment. The sketches comprise "Country Life" generally-some of them are just sufficiently touched with romance to give them additional zest; while others are purely practical, and relate to the farmer's pursuit. We regard it as a valuable book, and are sorry our limits will not admit of bestowing upon it such a notice as it really deserves.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine.

This work is a collection of miscellaneous sketches on the Romance of Agriculture and Rural Life. Matters of fact, however, are not excluded from the volume, which is well adapted for reading in the snatches of leisure enjoyed at the farmer's fireside.

From the True Democrat

Dr. Blake's publications are all of a high order, and are doing a most important work towards refining the taste, improving the intellect, and

rendering attractive the various branches of Agricultural science. Indeed we know no author who has so successfully blended the romantic, the rural and beautiful with the poetical, the useful, and true, as has Dr. Blake. This is a peculiar feature of all his works. His style is plain, simple, and perspicuous; and, with unusual tact and judgment, he so manages to insinuate himself upon you, that you are at once amused, delighted, and instructed with the subject he is discussing. In this respect he relieves the study of agricultural science from the abstruseness of technical science, and thus renders himself easily comprehended by all classes of readers.

From the New-York Evening Post.

The author's object is to improve the soil through the mind-not so much to place in the hands of farmers the best methods of raising large crops-for these he refers them to Leibig's Agricultural Chemistry, and to treatises of the like description-but to make them feel how useful, agreeable, and ennobling, is the profession of agriculture, and, above all, how profitable the business must become when skilfully and economically carried on. These money-making considerations are, we suspect, the best moral guano that can be applied to the farmer's spiritual soil. The author writes well of the countryman's independence, the good effect of fresh salubrious air upon his health, and the moral influence of his every-day intimacy with nature upon his mind.

"The Farm and the Fireside" is a kind of Bucolical annual-to be read in seasons of leisure-intended for the Phyllises and Chloes, as well as for the Strephons and Lindors. Dr. Blake has enriched it with curious anecdotes of domestic animals, and of the best way of raising and selling them. He describes model-farms, and the large incomes made from them. He expatiates on the advantages of matrimony in rural life, expounds the true theory of choosing a helpmate, discusses the advantages of Sunday-Schools, and recommends neatness of attire and punctuality in bathing. In short, this volume is as diversified in its aspect as the small garden of a judicious cultivator, where, in a limited space, useful cabbages, potatoes, and all the solid esculent greens, grow side by side with choice fruits and pleasant flowers.

JENKINS'

UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS.

VOYAGE OF THE U. S. EXPLORING SQUADROx under the command of Captain Wilkes, together with explorations and discoveries by D'Urville, Ross, and other navigators and travellers; and an account of the Expe dition to the Deal Sea un der Lieutenant Lynch. By John S. Jenkins Published by James M. Alden, Auburn, N. Y.

This valuable work has already passed through three large editions, It is beautifully illustrated, and forms a handsome octavo volume of 517 pages. Price, in cloth. $2.25: in sheep, $2,59.

The following are some of the numerous flattering encomiums which the work his receive 1 from the public press :-

The voyages of D'Urville, Ross an others, the results of which are here demiled, have been pro luctive of great gol, in the extension of geogra; hical and selenid knowledge; and it is every way desirable to poses fall r inforaaration concerning them. The necessary expen siveness of the ori ̧mil works will, no doubt, confine them, for the most part, to publie libraries, or to the shelves of the wealthy; but, in this volu ue, we are happy to say, all that is of general in ere i, un d'a lapted to papilir rei ling, nine be foun 1. Mr. Jonk ne his murfstly bestowed much Laby on his book, and is an a lept in the very diialt art of con lensation He has not merely abrigod his materials, nor is his work a mere selection from other anchors, but bears every mark of being a faithful digest from authentic som ces. He is master of a terse sty, by which he is enable to avoid all diu eness and unnecessary e nb lli i nent, and makes his statemen's with diree ness an i precision. In the present day, when most men must depend on summaries, like the present, for a great part of their knowle lgi on a large class of subs jects, it is a matter of satisfaction to light upon a book, which communicates so mach in a cheap and compendious form. We have examined it with some eare, an I are persua led that the author has executed his tisk with discretion and fidelity. Our interest in reading it has in creased to the en, and we shut the volume with a sense of gratifica tron in having ea ily acquired much valuable information, and with re gret that we have reached the close.-Old Colony Memorial.

Now these Exploring Expeditions gave a vast amount of new information, and Mr. Jenkins has sought to present it in an attractive and condensed form. For an accurate knowledge of the places and locali ties described--of the Pacific and the Jordan-it will be found servicoable. Indeed, Mr. J. has not strictly followed his authors. He has gone outside of them, and obtained information gathered since their works were published-an anachronism for which the reader will not scold him.

To show the extent of Mr. Jenkins' labor, we may mention that the important results and actual information obtained by Lieut. Lynch, in his Dead Sea Expedition, are compressed in some forty-five pages. Yet nothing material is omitted! This is real service rendered. For Lieut. Lynch was verbose to a fault--right in his spirit; bold as an adventurer; truthful; but no writer.

We do not see why such books could not be introduced into our schools, so that while scholars are taught to read, they may be taught, also, living information. What lad is not interested in the Jordan and the Dead Sea? What scholar not anxious to know more about the Pacific and its wonders?--These are living topics. The one is hallowed by every association of the Past, and the other made alive by every interest of the Present. If boys in our schools-the more advanced, certainly could have put in their hands books more to interest and instruct-could not the intelligent teacher do more towards making them good readers and well-informed men?" The Daily True Democrat," Cleveland.

The account of the United States Exploring Expedition, as detailed by Lieut. Wilkes, though highly interesting, is much too prolix for common readers.--Five octavo volumes require more patience and perseverance than ordinarily fall to the lot of individuals. There are also inany young people who have not time to read, nor money to purchase extensive works, but who could profit much by a cheap, judicious synoptical class of publications. This is precisely the course adopted in schools -first rudiments, and then more expansive views in ample volumes. Mr. Jenkins has not barely abridged the works referred to in the title page; he has written, or rather compiled, a new work, making use of the authors referred to, an introducing considerable valuable matter from other sources. The reader may purchase here, for two dollars, all that is of consequence in volumes costing elsewhere from five to ten times that sum.-Northern Christian Advocate.

We are indebted to the publisher for a copy of the above work, which gives, in an attractive and condensed form, an account of the expeditions to the Pacific and the South Seas, together with a variety of interesting information in relation to the localities described in its pages. *** It is a volume of over 500 pages, handsomely executed, and will no doubt meet a quick demand-Rochester Democrat

One of the most valuable and attractive books of the present year. *** No library can be complete without it.—American Citizen

The comprehensive octavo of Mr. Jenkins will not take the place of its original sources, in the libraries of men of wealth, and of public institutions; yet its sale will by no means be confined to people of very limited means. The mass of book-buyers will prefer it, not only because they will avoid seven eighths of an expense otherwise incurred, but also thus save an equal proportion of time. The book is not a mere abridgment, nor a selection from the larger works of Wilkes, Lynch, etc.; nor are its gleanings alone from their fields. We are given to understand that every line of the work is from the pen of Mr. Jenkins; and, in his preface, he tells us that a large proportion of his facts is derived from other works than any of the above-mentioned. Some twenty books of travel and history are cited as authorities, besides a “number of others referred to in the notes."

The volume is truly much in little-a summary and closely detailed review of all late explorations in and around the Pacific. In five hundred pages we have the results of many thousand. Some idea of its compression of volumes into a small space may be gained from the fact, that Lieut. Lynch's Expedition to the Dead Sea is thrown into fifty-five pages, in which the "important results and actual information" are given. At this day, when a golden key is not the only one that unlocks the treasures of learning; when all information must be laid before" the people" in an accessible shape; and when, in the bustle of the age, men can only read as they run; we cannot but regard Mr. Jenkins's book, so cheap and compendious, as a precious windfall to the multitude. And we may remark here, that some of our country friendsespecially the "poor scholars" who live at a distance from public librarie--would be greatly favored by cheap editions of such works as Ticknor's Spanish Literature, Prescott's works, etc. It would not interfere with the sales of the fine edition, and would rather be an additional source of profit to the authors and copyright-holders.

So far as we have examined it, the volume before us is executed very understandingly. The style is close and perspicuous, and the screws are applied to diffuse remark without the sacrifice of picturesque elegance of at ration.—. -Literary World.

This is a hand-one petavo volume of 517 pages, containing, as its title intimates, a compilation of scenes, incidents, adventures, etc., in, and descriptions of, various countries visited by celebrated navigators and travellers. It is divided into two parts. Part one comprises accounts of expeditions to the Pacific and the South Seas: Part two embraces a narrative of the voyage of Lieutenant Lynch to the Dead Sea, together with scenes and incidents in the Holy Land, from the writings of various travellers.

The work contains copious and interesting descriptions of the most important places and localities visited by the several travellers, from whose writings the book has been prepared. The information it contains is arranged in an attractive form, well suited to popular reading, and the work, as a whole, is admirably adapted to impart valiable knowledge-Boston Daily Journal.