no THE GARDENER. [March 



upon my mind is, that any one who can bonefit horticulture by increasing its 

 sphere of influence and prosi)erit3' must be the means of increasing the trade 

 and considerably enhancing the pecuniary position of those who are engaged 

 in it." 



Good, this : cool, too. That Mr Wills, either by his writings or his 

 actions, has promoted the advancement of horticulture more than, or 

 even as much as, his neighbours, except, perhaps, in catering for the 

 balls and routs of the " upper ten," and generally promoting his own 

 interests, nobody, we think, is aware, and that is probably the 

 reason why he every now and then reminds us of his doings, and 

 his devotion to the cause of horticulture. The idea of a change from 

 a private enterprise to a " John Wills (Limited)," all for the glory and 

 future of horticulture, is too good by half. " I solemnly affirm/' says 

 our philanthropic friend, " that in the change recently made in the style 

 of my undertaking, I have been actuated solely by the wish to benefit 

 my fellow-men." Very likely ! Are all the members of the " co-op." 

 actuated by the same amiable resolves, we wonder 1 Because, if 

 they are, we rather think the firm is wrongly named. It ought to be 

 the " General Horticultural Benevolent Company Z/Tilimited ; John 

 Wills, Almoner." In short, it won't do, Mr Wills ; thank you for your 

 " priced catalogue," but " none of your blarney." 



A correspondent has been writing to the genial and well-known 

 " S. R. H." of Cauton Manor to suggest devout " thoughts " — sending 

 coals to Newcastle. This correspondent has been gathering Violets, 

 Primroses, Cowslips, and Aconites, &c., about Christmas season, in the 

 pleasant land of Kent, and while these suggest hopeful anticipations 

 to himself, they occasion him sad misgivings concerning his neighbours. 

 *' How few," he exclaims, " appreciate the beauty or the blessings which 

 surround us ! We speak of this poor dark world, and of this winter 

 season as a dead, cheerless time (what a slander on the festive season !). 

 Many seem to think there is nothing to see in a garden except in 

 midsummer, and some cannot see it then. Nevertheless, though such 

 blindness seems incurable, and we see no signs of a millennium, I feel 

 sure that the spread of horticulture among all classes is doing some- 

 thing to cheer many a life." We devoutly hope horticulture is " doing 

 something" in the direction indicated; but a more gloomy and ascetic 

 view of the position of affairs we have never, we think, read ; and we 

 are perfectly sure the author of the ' Six of Spades ' doesn't believe in 

 it. We protest against the accusation of " incurable blindness," or 

 of having obstructed the " millennium " in any way, because we cannot 

 see Violets, Primroses, "yellow and pink, and double and single — 

 Gentians, and Polyanthus, that are yet underneath the ground, and 

 likely to remain there for a matter of six weeks to come, maybe. If 

 we had them we would send some to S. R. H., but not as text for a 

 sermon about our neighbours' failings. We are fain to confess, indeed, 



