2 PEINCIPLES OF GARDENING. 



gardening, I point to the discoveries of the late Mr. 

 Knight. The opinion of that most scienced horti- 

 cultuinst is also recorded in a letter from him now in 

 my possession, — the words should be engraved over 

 the portal of every garden : " Physiological know- 

 ledge CAN ALONE NOW DIRECT THE GARDENER TO IM- 

 PROVEMENT, FOR HE possesses ALL THAT MERE PRAC- 

 TICE IS LIKELY TO GIVE." Scicnce, it is time, can 

 never supersede the necessity for a practical ac- 

 quaintance with the operations of the spade, the 

 knife, and the hoe ; but it is their best guide, — a 

 pilot needed even by the most experienced, and let 

 it be remembered, that to botanists we owe nearly 

 the whole of our flowers, as well as our knowledge 

 of their habits; and that to information drawn 

 from their discoveries, we are indebted for the ma- 

 jority of oui' numerous varieties of fruits and culinary 

 vegetables, as well as for a laiowledge of their ana- 

 tomy and functions. Botany also affords the best 

 nomenclature for our plants ; and thus, to it we are 

 indebted for an enlightened practice, and a language 

 universally intelligible. But for another science, 

 chemistiy, the true nature of soils, of manures, of 

 the food and functions of plants, would be unknown 

 to us, and many of our simplest gai'den operations 

 would be inexplicable. 



The gro\Ni:h of horticultural science has been slow; 

 for, although its dawn was in the Elizabethan age. 



