128 THE GARDENER. [March 



DIFFICULTIES. 



A WORD TO YOUNG GARDENERS. 



Every one has difficulties to contend with, no matter what may be 

 their calling or position in society. The monarch who sits on a throne 

 and sways his sceptre over a mighty empire, and the humble peasant 

 in his lowly thatched cottage, are alike in this respect, although 

 their respective difficulties are of necessity extremely different 

 in character. In the one case the interest and welfare of a 

 nation present innumerable difficulties to the sovereign, while the 

 most humble serf has his own particular difficulties to meet and 

 obstacles to surmount in the other. 



Difficulties are the chains that bind us — the shackles that hinder us 

 in our race after knowledge ; while without knowledge we are but 

 poorly armed in order to cope with the many obstacles that every day 

 rise in our path. 



Knowledge is the powder we must use to blast into atoms the rocky 

 difficulties we constantly meet with ; Wisdom the fulcrum on which 

 our lever must be placed if we would raise ourselves to true greatness. 

 Perhaps some under-gardeners (I would not presume to write for the 

 instruction of head-gardeners) may ask, What do you mean by true 

 greatness ] and may feel surprised when I say that true greatness 

 neither consists in wealth nor position in society, but in the full 

 development of all those powers, both physical, moral, and intellectual, 

 which have been so wisely bestowed upon us by the omnipotent Crea- 

 tor of the universe. 



No man is born wise — neither in a palace nor in a gypsy's tent ; 

 nor is it possible that a man can suddenly become blessed with 

 wisdom. He may perchance become suddenly rich, but wisdom can only 

 be obtained by laborious and persevering study. Linnseus (the 

 father of botanists), Handel, and Vandyke did not render their names 

 immortal because they were descended from noble families, nor because 

 they were wealthy, but because they worked hard and studied hard, 

 and became wise. 



The following lines will give some idea of true wisdom : — 



** In parts superior what advantage lies '? 

 Tell (if you can), what is it to be wise ] 

 'Tis but to know how little can be known — 

 To see all others* faults and feel our own." 



The difficulties that lie in the young gardener's path are as plentiful 

 as "Roses in June ; " would that I could add "and as pleasant " ! but 



