364 



be adorned ; the designer mingles Water falls with broader 

 masses of darker foliaged trees, and acquires the beauty pecu- 

 liar to the abrupt and the grand, as in the former he aimed at 

 that which is secured by softer featores. 



To enter into minute details does not come within the scope 

 of the present work, and therefore for more particulars I must 

 refer to the works of Wheatly, Knight, Repton, Loudon, and 

 others, before mentioned, 



From the preceding tables and statements but one inference 

 can be drawn, if we consider them as data whereby to judge 

 of the future piospects of our Art, It is that as far as the 

 strictly practical parts of Gardening are concerned, no mere 

 empirical experience can much improve them. There is no 

 Fruit, no Culinary Vegetable, no Flower or Ornamental Plant, 

 whether exotic or indigenous that cannot be obtained in its 

 most desired state, at any period of the year. I of course do not 

 mean to say that in any Horticultural establishment such per- 

 fection is positively and regularly obtained, but that any flow- 

 er may be obtained in sucession through the year, any fruit or 

 culinary Vegetable in a state of perfection similarly continuously 

 if it is required of a first rate Gardener of the present day ; he 

 has the knowledge which would enable him to effect it.* The 

 Gardeners of the present day then have to look for improve- 

 ment in those Sciences which may guide to a more judicious 

 conducting of their present practices, and to the discovery of 

 Dew modes of treatment. Of those Sciences Botany in its most 

 comprehensive form, and Chemistry are the chief. Of the im- 

 portance of Botanical knowledge to the Horticulturist no one 

 can rationally doubt. It is to the researches of Botanists that 



* This opinion is also that of the President of the Horticultural Society. 

 In a letter now before me he says " Physiological knowledge can alone how 

 divert the Qardener to improvenieut I for he possesses all that mere practice 

 in likely to give." 



