THE CULTURE OF FLOWERS. BOTANY. 397 



On grounds even of interest, a proprietor may find, upon con 

 sideration, that he is essentially a gainer by every thing which 

 improves the appearance of, or serves to embellish, his estate. 

 This may be a small matter in England, where estates are held 

 to keep ; but it is worthy of much reflection in the United 

 States, where almost all estates seem to be held to sell. There 

 may be most expensive embellishments, which should never be 

 undertaken without being maturely considered ; there may be 

 embellishments in very bad taste, against which it would be 

 difficult to prescribe any other remedy than that which improved 

 education brings with it ; there may be embellishments of a 

 costly yet of a perishable nature, which certainly are not to be 

 chosen ; but embellishments planned in good taste, corresponding 

 with the general character and uses of the property, greatly im 

 prove the value of an estate, far beyond their cost. Shade trees, 

 ornamental and flowering shrubs, are always easily attainable, 

 and may be considered as permanent improvements, which give 

 a real and durable value to an estate. 



In speaking thus on this subject, among the great variety of 

 tastes which I may be expected to encounter, I know there are 

 many to whom I cannot look for sympathy. They, I hope, will 

 at once turn these pages over, and leave them for persons who 

 take an interest in these subjects. These rural embellishments 

 are common in Europe ; but they are not appreciated, or, if ap 

 preciated, they are not yet so general as they should be in the 

 United States. I wish they might be universal. 



1. THE FLORAL MAGNIFICENCE OF ENGLAND. In England, 

 they prevail every where, and render the country extremely 

 beautiful. There is not a country-house without its shade trees, 

 its ornamental hedge-rows, its shrubby avenues, its parterres of 

 flowers, its trellises of vines of the most beautiful description ; 

 sometimes covering all the sides and the roofs of the houses with 

 their thick matting of foliage, suspending their rich tresses over 

 every door-way, climbing every corner, peeping into every win 

 dow, and covering it with their graceful drapery as a curtain, 

 and hanging, in thick masses of green and gold, intermingled 

 often with flowers and fruit of the most exquisite richness and 

 beauty, from the edges of the roof, and from every angle and 

 projection, where they can fix their grasp. I have seen nothing 

 VOL. ii. 34 



