HORTICULTURAL MUSEUM. 187 



forgotten. Those wlio hare examined the agricultural 

 museums now being collected in various parts of the 

 empii'e will easily imagine the benefit which might be 

 derived from kindi'cd collections in public gardens. To 

 these museums we would recommend the addition of a 

 well-chosen horticirltm'al and botanical libraiy, composed 

 not merely of treatises which ought to be in the hands 

 of eveiy one^ but of books of reference, such as the 

 works of Lindley, Loudon, Diel, Hooker, De CandoUe, 

 Balfom', and others, to which should be added the 

 various horticultural and botanical periodicals of the 

 day, and many other illustrated works, which persons of 

 moderate fortime, unless they enjoy peculiar facilities of 

 access to public libraries, have no opportunities of con- 

 sulting. There might also be a collection of elementary 

 treatises for the instruction of the operatives employed 

 in the gardens : indeed, such a library has, with praise- 

 worthy liberality, been formed by the Horticultural 

 Society of London for the benefit of the yoimg men in 

 the garden at Tm^nham Green. It may seem more 

 connected with oiu' present object to recommend the 

 keeping of a register of observations made from time to 

 time in the garden. In this book we would insert aU 

 the judgments formed of fruits and flowers, the reception 

 of eveiy new plant, with its date, the rejection of every 

 worthless article, and the reasons for the same, and all 

 the comparisons of products made in respect to quantity 

 and quality. Selections of the more interesting parts 

 of this information might be pubhshed occasionally; 

 but undoubtedly there would also be much which, 

 though it might not be of sufficient importance to 

 be presented to the eyes of the world, might yet be 

 highly worthy of preservation as a part of the his- 



