CLUB. 



iSVV YO 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHA.N. 



Vol. XXI Y. 



JANUARY, 1882. 



Number 277. 



Flower Garden and Pleasure Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



In starting on our New Year's journey, it may 

 be well to remind the reader that gardening is to 

 be followed chiefly for the pleasure we derive 

 from it. Pretty flowers and handsome trees, 

 beautiful lawns and artistically^ designed grounds, 

 are the essential elements of gardening. As in 

 other rational enjoyments, the more intelligence 

 and mental culture we throw into the work, the 

 greater enjoyment does gardening aflford. At the 

 present time there is something of a revival in 

 true gardening taste. Works on art in gardening, 

 publishers tell us, are in more than usual request, 

 and fijie books like "Scott's Suburban Home 

 Grounds." have a more than usual sale. Maga-- 

 zines which in years gone by, would busy them- 

 selves only with how shall we eat, and what shall 

 we wear, now find some of their most popular 

 articles are those which relate to garden culture 

 and garden art. We cannot forbear repeating ^ 

 what we have taken several occasions to say of' 

 late, that there is a great want of intelligent 

 landscape gardeners of business tact and talent 

 to meet with this increasing demand. Many, to 

 be sure, have had little encouragement of late 

 years. When a chance has offered for good work, 

 it is disheartening to find some one engaged in 

 it, utterly ignorant of what good gardening 



requires. But the good landscape gardener must 

 remember that this is the fate of all professions ; 

 lawyers, doctors, clergymen, and other profes- 

 sions, have a dozen incompetents for every one 

 fit for his business. The intelligent man must 

 wait for his chance to show what he is. There 

 are few large cities now in the Union but would 

 welcome an intelligent landscape gardener 

 among them. In some places where there are 

 already a few, there is room for many more. It 

 will also be well for those who are about. to make 

 or improve their gardens, to remember that true 

 garden taste ought to save and not sp.end money. 

 It is often sad to pass by places being "laid out" 

 by some bungler, where hundreds of dollars are 

 being wasted, under the name of "practical 

 gardening." It will be money saved to try to find 

 out the man who understands what fine land- 

 scape gardening is. 



We have often stated that one of the grievous 

 errors of American gardening is that gardens are 

 too large. American fortunes are not so steady. 

 We have a succession o'f years of prosperit3', and 

 among other luxuries form a good garden ; but 

 it is hardly put in fair order before we find that 

 its necessary expenses are too large for our income 

 and the establishment runs down. We see these 

 places everywhere. Here are gardens which 

 ought to have half a dozen men to keep them 

 properly, cut down perhaps to one laborer, be- 



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