THE 



GARDENER. 



SEPTEMBER 1871. 



THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF HORTICULTUKE. 



T is very mucli to be regretted tliat the slightest jealousy 

 or ill-feeling should spring up and exist in any quarter 

 whatever, between those who may be termed the scien- 

 tific representatives of horticulture and those who are 

 generally termed practical gardeners. That such a feeling exists at 

 present between these two sections, is deplorably manifest to those 

 who have had sufficient opportunities of hearing the remarks, and 

 knowing the sentiments, of the one towards the other. What has 

 been recently said in the columns of a contemporary, acknowledged as 

 the representative organ of the scientific section of horticulturists, has 

 been keenly felt by their practical fellow-labourers, and the impression 

 produced is no less than that their feelings must become active in some 

 shape or other. When practical horticulturists are busily discussing 

 what they consider the unfair, the unkind, and entirely uncalled-for 

 utterances to which we refer, it is certain that the state of feeling is 

 anything but so harmonious as it is most desirable that it should be. 



It is no part of our business to shield either party from whatever 

 measure of blame can be attached to them respectively, in bringing 

 about a state of feeling so very much to be regretted. We cannot, 

 however, refrain from expressing our conviction that the manner in 

 which our contemporary recently represented gardeners as a class was 

 sadly incautious, and calculated to do much harm, especially from its 

 want of sufficient discrimination. It would be folly on our part to 

 defend all who profess themselves to be horticulturists from the charges 



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