July 16. 1874. ) JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



TO OUE READERS. 



A DIONITARY of the Church has written to us a letter, from which we venture to make this 

 extract — "The Jouroal is the greatest source of amusement to me. When wearied with other 

 work, or unwell, or cross, to sit down for a half-hour and ponder my old numbers — they soothe, 

 delight, amuse, and are inexpressibly dear to me. An old clergyman regarded me, I believe, 

 as a kind of maniac the other day ; and when I asked him if he did not love flowers he answered 

 bluntly, ' Flowers have no soul ! flowers have no soul ! ' Puor man ! what a dreary wilderness 

 must this lovely world be to him ! " Yes, a man so minded is to be pitied ; but we have no 

 doubt he is devoted — gloomily devoted — to his clerical duties, and he might be advantaged by 

 considering the words which came from the lips of a Bishop — "Was He mistaken Who said 

 'Consider the Lilies;' and Who in His hour of severest trial retired to a garden?" 



The pages of our Journal, writes our kindly correspondent, " soothe, delight, amuse, and 

 are inexpressibly dear to me;" and we say in our own names, and in the names of our con- 

 tributors, that that is a most gratifying testimonial. We also know that as a medium for 

 obtaining information, which not only every amateur but every practical gardener sometimes 

 needs, our pages are made available ; and we add, without the slightest feeling of self-approbation, 

 that they are deservedly so referred to, for we always obtain the iniormation required fi'om those 

 known to be best qualified to impart it. 



With thanks to you all for the high position to which you have raised and retain us, we 

 remain, and hope to remain. 



Your Servants, 



THE EDITORS. 



