On Modern Improvements of Horticulture, 271 



carried into practice by Loudon and others ; and nothing will 

 prevent the universal adoption of their principles, but the diffi- 

 culty of giving the foreground from home walks the extreme 

 degree of ruggedness so much admired, and even indispensable 

 to the painter. Fern, (unless we can introduce some uncommon 

 foreign variety,) burdock, kexes, cannot be admitted into dressed 

 ground ; nor have we any plants in cultivation which would well 

 answer the purpose ; true, we have the rhubarb, one or two sorts 

 of thistles, eryngiums, palma Christi, and gourds with their ample 

 leaves : but these would only appear intruders, and misplaced : 

 but much may be done by a judicious disposition of our com- 

 mon shrubs, so as to conceal the traces of the spade and line, 

 and give all our combinations of land, wood, and water that 

 flowing character, which is so true to nature, and so pleasing 

 to the refined eye of taste. 



Floriculture, which has been imported from France and 

 Holland, is also intensely followed about London, as well as in 

 our manufacturing provinces. Authors have creditably ap- 

 peared in this line too ; and our annual blows of flowers, both 

 home-cultivated and imported, are at once rich and costly. 

 Tulips, hyacinths, narcissuses, ranunculuses, and anemones, are 

 the principal bed flowers : but roses, stocks, dahlias, chrysan- 

 themums, and even poppies, are out of number. Flowering 

 shrubs, both within and without doors, are eminently rich and 

 various, and astonish as much by the splendour of their colours 

 fits by their elegant forms and number. 



Orcharding has declined during the last fifty years : first, 

 because of the gradual deterioration of the trees, and preca- 

 riousness of the crops ; next, from the improved way of agri- 

 cultural labourers' manner of living. This change renders the 

 use of small cider and perry less necessary in a farm-house, 

 causing an increased consumption of malt liquor; and this 

 again, occasioning a greater demand for barley, at once pleases 

 both the farmer and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Thus 

 the cultivation of orchard fruit (except cherries *) has greatly 

 fallen off; and the decayed state of the old, and difficulty of 



• It is said that many of the Caroon chenies brought to Coventr 

 garden market, are bought up for the piu-pose of coloui'ing wine on the 

 Continent. 



T 2 



