of Rural Art and Taste. 



375 







If 



fplH 



ICtujlisIi Ilorticiiltii rill •Ton riinls. 



We have watched with more than custom- 

 ary interest the course of the leading Eng- 

 lish horticultural journals for the past three 

 years, and have felt disposed, more than once, 

 to say a word of compliment to the manage- 

 ment of two in particular. J'ke Garden, ed- 

 ited by W. Robinson, and The Gardeners 

 Chronicle, edited by Dr. Masters, are, in our 

 judgment, the model gardening journals of the 

 world. Nothing that we know of, either in 

 America, or the whole world wide, approaches 

 them in masterly ability, typographical beauty, 

 and good sterling common sense. We Ameri- 

 can members of the same editorial field, have 

 reason to feel special good will' toward them 

 for their uniform kind words toward Ameri- 

 can journals. We have yet to see the first 

 word of criticism or depreciation ; we have seen 

 no spirit or disposition of superciliousness 

 which many, less successful, occasionally as- 

 sume ; and their interest and a]>preciation of 

 American horticulture and gardening enter- 

 prises grow more and more positive and cor- 

 dial. 'Ike Gardener'' s Chronicle has been 

 pre-eminent in its hearty editorial comments 

 upon the recent proceedings of the American 

 Pomological Soaefy, and its notices of our 

 leading men of horticultural talent. Scarcely 

 a number appears but in its contents may be 

 found a word or paragraph respecting Ameri- 

 can gardening ; and its editor seems to feel, 

 in spirit and actual work, the fitness of award- 

 ing to our great country some candid recog- 

 nition of its vast and wonderful resources, as 

 also the pro[)riety of both countries exhibiting 

 toward each other a warm mutual aid in the 

 same occupations — rural literature and horti- 

 cultural interests. 



The Garden is, every number, a model of 

 completeness. Pictorially made attractive 

 with illusti-ations choicely engraved, its edito- 

 rial departments are types of most complete 

 information, most practically and sensibly 

 handled. 



Conducted with high dignity, never descend- 

 ing to petty criticism with rivals or neighbors, 

 its columns are witnesses of perfect courte- 

 sy to all, and a disposition to furnish the 

 most abundant information its patrons could 

 desire. In a recent notice of American hor- 

 ticultural journalism, it speaks frankly, award- 

 ing it great praise for xii^practical character, the 

 clearness of style, intelligent handling of every 

 subject, with no waste of words, and the uni- 

 form courtesy of writers toward each- other. 



To all which encouragement America re- 

 sponds with thanks. Our field is a diflicult 

 one to fill in the United States. We have 

 editorial and contributors' talent to produce 

 journals and volumes far beyond anything now 

 existing. Many stand ready to ofi'er services, of 

 pen and picture, to make memorials of highest 

 value to American gardening, but alas, we can- 

 not find the financial support. Four dollar 

 weeklies cannot find any home here. Five or 

 six dollar botanical repertories of beautiful 

 colored plates of flowers will find but a few 

 purchasers. The mass of our people, although 

 they admit theii' love for gardening, still are 

 unwilling to give more for a gardening journal 

 than for the cheapest agricultural monthlies. 

 The number of highly educated lovers of gar- 

 dening is limited. Not even the great horti- 

 cultural trade, numbering over 0,000 different 

 establislunents, give us any support ; not 500 

 of them take any gardening journal. 



Our country differs in climate with each 

 section. The West needs a different style of 

 topics from the East ; the South is another 

 country altogether, and has no interest in our 

 Northern projects or literature. 



To our English friends we say these are 

 some of the peculiar reasons why American 

 gardening journals are not more successful or 

 more attractive than they are. Our public 

 must be met with high talent at cheap prices, 

 and still have a more limited audience than 

 any journal of agricultural character. 



The number of skilled horticulturists is 

 moderate ; of gardeners, while the list is in- 

 creasing, they too often drop the American 

 journal to take their English favorite. 



It is a pleasure to witness such successes as 



