BoTAisy, a fcience which every one engaged in the ftudy of 

 will readily acknowledge to afford one of the pureft of human 

 pleafures, from the introdudion of exotics derives its principal 

 fupport ; and certainly whatever tends to facilitate ^his amiable 

 ftudy is truly deferving of the attention of every philanthropic 

 mind. As all botanifts cannot have an opportunity of ex- 

 amining plants in their native foils at proper feafons, it is there- 

 fore only by tranfplanting and cultivating, they can become 

 acquainted with the produdtions of diftant countries ; and to 

 cultivate them with fuccefs we muft derive our information 

 principally from the plants themfelves : each has certainly a pe- 

 culiar charader, which were we truly acquainted with, thofe 

 tedious experiments with each newly acquired fpecies, which now 

 nearly exhauft the patience of all lovers of plants, would be 

 no longer neceffary ; gardening might then boaft of being efta- 

 blifhed on fcientific principles, and would then never adopt rules 

 contrary to what nature didlates. 



Nor will flic, fcorning truth and tafte, devote 

 To ftrange and alien foils, her feedling ftems i 

 Fix tlie dark fallow on the mountain's brow, 

 Or to the mofs-grown margin of the lake 

 Bid the dry pine defcend. From nature's laws 

 iihe draws her own : nature and flie are one. 



Masok's English Garden, B. hi, line 226. 



Br 



