A friend sends us the following notice of Elliot's Fruit Boole, cut from The Independent, Dr. BeRECHER's popular newspaper, requesting its insertion in our columns, as it touches upon some points to which our notice did not allude. We give place to it with pleasure, not for the sake of what is said of Elliot's book, but because it touches upon certain subjects which have an important and general bearing upon American Horticulture and Pomology. It says: - "The respects in which this work deserves notice are: -

"1. The addition which it makes to the list of Apples and Cherries, of native sorts. We think, however, that many of them are prematurely favorites.

"2. In the science of descrinUon. Mr. ELLIOt has emnloved. in the chanters on the Annie and the Pear, the characteristic and distinguishing forma of the seed and the seed-edit, This is a step in the right direction.

"8. The changes which a fruit undergoes upon different soils, and in different atmospheres is kept distinctly in view. And, though the investigation of these most interesting feels has not yet been so large and accurate as to form the basis of very thorough and reliable statements, yet a beginning is made, and Mr. Elliot has contributed many materials toward a department or knowledge hitherto almost unmarked.

"4 Beside these more prominent points, the reader will find many interesting facts, many suggestions, in the preliminary chapters, of each leading department of fruits.

"We should be glad to rest the matter here. But American Horticulture and Pomology suffer for lack of firm and just criticism.

"1. Mr. Elliot has been led to make his book cover a larger ground than was needful, except for bookseller's reasons. Had he given a monograph on Apples, or a thin volume devoted chiefly to the Apple, the Cherry, and the Pear, and as a catalogue raitonnee, he would have shielded himself from much criticism; but there is no advance upon DowniNG's work which justified so large an undertaking, and in a literary view it fulls far below it;

"2. For Mr. Elliot has the unpardonable vice of fine writing - unpardonable in any body, and in any department of literature; but to the last degree unbecoming in a practical and scientific work; and rendered more ridiculous when attempted by persons who can not even write grammatically. Fine writing is the scrofula of literature. The only way to cure it is for the author to burn his manuscript.

"We are surprised that Mr. Elliot's publishers should not have urged him to entrust his MSS. to some literary hand, to comb its tangled sentences, and pluck out its artificial flowers, and gaudy tail-feathers, stuck in without taste or conscience.

"A little of this tendency is to be found in Mr. DowkNINg's work. Sentimental sweetnesses are quite in place in a treatise on the beautiful, and in works treating of landscape-gardening; but the utmost frugality should be practiced in a treatise upon fruits. And if ( in any degree, Mr Elliot has sinned under the influence of Mr. Dowming's genial and flowing style, it is time that the pomological world should pronounce its censure so distinctly upon such efforts, as shall create a law of propriety hereafter, otherwise we shall have books of fruit stuck all over with mere, tricious ornaments, like a confectioner's gewgaw temple at an absurd municipal dinner".

That "American Horticulture Buffers for lack of firm and just critiscisra," is an undeniable truth. A notice of such a work as Elliot Fruit Book should be more than a mere puff; it should point out errors and defects, as well as excellencies, for the benefit of both author and public. True, there are but few among those who are called upon to review sush works, that have a sufficient degree of knowledge of the subject to take it up thoroughly, and many of those who are competent have not the requisite leisure. There are those, however, who have both leisure and ability, but are too lenient - too fearful that they might wound the sensibilities of the author, or lose his friendship, to speak out boldly in the language of "firm and just critiscism." We should be one of the last to complain of this, for we have needed and enjoyed our full share of lenient and kindly critiscism; but we must say that even in our own case we would prefer to see the critic just before being generous, even if it should bring upon us somewhat of mortification.

Every man who sets himself up as an author must expect to have the merits of his work canvassed, and his errors and weak points brought to light: nor should he complain if treated with somewhte of severitv: for nothing short of this will brinng some people to a proper decree to see more of the manly tone of the Independent. When the cause of science is concerned, the truth and the whole truth should be spoken even between personal friends. Without any reference to Mr. Elliot's style of writing, whether it be fine or otherwise, we must express our hearty concurrence in the views advanced by the Independent on this subject. To lug in a series of sentimental ideas and expressions, in writing on a practical or scientific subject, is a glaring impropriety, and one that is, we regret to say, by no means uncommon. Plain matters of fact should be stated in plain, every-day language, and not be cumbered and mystified by superfluous and inappropriate ornaments, "artificial flowers and gaudy tail-feathers." There are subjects connected with horticulture which naturally call up feeling and sentiment, and these seek utterance in appropriate language, as do joy, sorrow, or any other emotion of the heart.

There is "a law of propriety" in these matters, which nature herself has established, and which the exercise of a moderate share of common sense can scarcely fail to discover.