506 



in:MAI{KS ON TIIK bCIKNCK OF GAKUEMNC. 



ral school, wherein the science of garden- 

 ing is even alluded to. In 1818, the Jar- 

 din dot Phnitcs at Paris, consisted of the 

 open-air departments devoted to the pur- 

 poses of teaching; wherein there was an 

 indifTercnt collection of hardy herbaceous 

 plants, trees, and shrubs, with some puerile 

 contrivances to aid the student of agricul- 

 ture : the plants in the houses (such as they 

 were) were badly cultivated, few in number 

 for such a place, and unworthy the reputa- 

 tion the garden had acquired. Subse- 

 quently, many other houses were erected, 

 and the establishment was considered '' pro- 

 gressing to a better state." 



In England, the Royal Gardens at Kew 

 may be mentioned, wherein of late years, 

 from the liberal management introduced 

 under the able direction of Sir Wm. Hooker, 

 the collection of plants has become as ac- 

 cessible as could be desired. 



The London Horticultural Society, the 

 Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh, Liverpool, 

 Cambridge, Oxford, Birmingham, Leeds, 

 Manchester, &c., all have iheir merits — all 

 diffuse a knowledge of existing plants ; but 

 they are not seminaries where a scientific 

 education can be obtained. Then as to all 

 other horticultural societies, there is no dif- 

 ficulty in determining how far they exert an 

 influence favorable to the science of gar- 

 dening— ?/te7/ stimulate emulation, rivalry, 

 the growth of fine specimens, and anxiety 

 to win a medal or a pecuniary prize ; but 

 lohat do they tcachl The question is signifi- 

 cant, and must be submitted to reflection. 



What we desire to see, is some decidedly 

 comprehensive undertaking, wherein every 

 material, every thing that can be rendered 

 available to the instruction of youth devoted 

 to the profession, shall be collected, and 

 maintained, either directly by the govern- 

 ment or by the united efforts of zealous and 

 affluent individuals, constituting themselves 



an influential body, (chartered of course,) 

 and subscribing to funds to purchase a large 

 breadth of land, whereon all the operations 

 of horticulture shall be performed by the 

 students in the open-air departments, and 

 in every variety of glazed or defensive erec- 

 tions, under the supervision of directors 

 qualified to undertake, note down, and re- 

 cord every observable fact and traceable 

 cause. This system would imply courses 

 of lectures on soils, water, moisture, vapor, 

 fermentation, gases; their extrication, mu- 

 tual attraction, combination, and results; 

 air, light, heat, electricity, galvanism, mag- 

 netism. All these, constituting as they do 

 the class of great natural agents, are em- 

 ployed by nature, and in full activit}'. In 

 its most comprehensive sense, botany would 

 form a very important feature ; so would 

 the natural historj^ climate, introduction of 

 every known plant, and the best method of 

 culture, subject to discovery and improve- 

 ment. We only suggest, but that any effi- 

 cient steps will be taken, we hardly dare to 

 hope : in the mean time it may not be un- 

 profitable to allude, to a greater or less ex- 

 tent, to each of the subjects mentioned — not 

 with any expectation of doing it justice, or 

 of being able to elucidate satisfactorily the 

 phenomena which, at present, we can only 

 contemplate, yet inquiry and admiration 

 may be thus excited, attention ma}' be 

 roused, and others may be stimulated to do 

 that more effectually, which is herein only 

 attempted. 



Thus far an imperfect prospectus only 

 has been ventured on, introductory to a se- 

 ries of short articles which will follow in 

 sucession as far as time will permit. Gene- 

 ral gardening, although mentioned at the 

 commencement, can not be noticed so far 

 as vegetables are concerned. The subject 

 is one which differs Avidely from science, 

 and stands alone ; but as the flower-garden, 



