S04 



HORTICULTURE. 



publication, compiled by professor I\>iU*aii ami 

 Vilmoriii. 



The first English treatise on rural economy was 

 Fitzherberfs Book of Husbandry, which was pub- 

 lished in 1634. The works of Tusser, Googe, and 

 I'hut. soon after appeared, and, early in the 18th 

 century, the celebrated treatise of Jethro Tull excited 

 much attention ; and several new works of consider- 

 able merit were announced before 1764, when the 

 valuable publications of Arthur Young, Marshal, 

 and numerous other authors, spread a knowledge of 

 cultivation, and cherished a taste for rural improve- 

 ments, throughout Great Britain. The literature of 

 horticulture rapidly advanced ; but as many of the 

 most eminent writers have been named, in treating 

 of the science and art of gardening, it is unnecessary 

 to mention them in this place. The citizens of the 

 United States of America liave been chiefly depend- 

 ent on Britain for books relating to agriculture and 

 gardening. Still several have appeared by native 

 writers, which are highly creditable to the authors and 

 the country; especially those which relate to the 

 botanical department. Mulenburg, Bigelow, Eliot, 

 Torry, Colden, Bartram, Barton, Hosack, Mitchel, 

 Darlington, Ives, Dewey, and Hitchcock, are entitled 

 to great praise for their successful attempts to illustrate 

 the American flora. One of the earliest writers on 

 husbandry was Belgrove, who published a treatise on 

 husbandry, in Boston, in 1755; and in 1790, Deane's 

 New England Farmer appeared ; but M'Mahon, 

 Cox, Thacher, Adlam, Prince, Bundly, Butler, 

 Nicholson, and Fessenden, since the commencement 

 of the present century, have produced works on the 

 various cultures of the United States, which are 

 generally circulated, and held in great estimation. 



The scientific relations of horticulture are numer- 

 ous, and require an extensive acquaintance with the 

 various branches of natural history and physics. 

 Botany, mineralogy, chemistry, hydraulics, architec- 

 ture, and mechanics, must furnish their several con- 

 tributions, which it is the province of the artist to 

 apply. After the illustrious Linnaeus published his 

 System of Nature, botany became a popular science, 

 and a variety of interesting elementary works 

 awakened attention to the beauties of nature, and a 

 passion for experimental and ornamental planting 

 was induced, which has been productive of great 

 results. Mineralogy enables us to obtain accurate 

 knowledge of terrestrial substances, and the mode of 

 distinguishing the divers kinds of earths which con- 

 stitute a cultivable soil ; and chemistry instructs us as 

 to the nature and properties of these various earths, 

 having for its objects, when applied to horticulture, 

 all those changes in the arrangements of matter, 

 which are connected with the growth and nourish- 

 ment of plants, the comparative value of their 

 produce as food, the constitution of soils, the manner 

 in which lands are enriched by manure, or rendered 

 fertile by the different processes of cultivation. 

 Inquiries of such a nature cannot but be interesting 

 and important, both to the theoretical horticulturist 

 and the practical gardener. To the first they are 

 necessary in applying most of the fundamental 

 principles on which the theory of the art depends. 

 To the second they are useful in affording simple and 

 easy experiments for directing his labours, and for 

 enabling him to pursue a certain and systematic plan 

 of improvement. To hydraulics belong, not only 

 the conducting and raising of water, with the con- 

 struction of pumps and other engines for those pur- 

 poses, but the laws which explain the nature ol 

 springs and fountains. By the principles of that 

 science, artificial lakes, canals, and aqueducts are 

 formed, irrigations projected, and water rendered 

 subservient to the useful purposes of life, as well as 



to the embellishments of pleasure-grounds by jets 

 d'eau, cascades, and streams. Architecture, as a 

 branch of horticulture, is of the first importance. 

 Without its aid, it would be impossible to give that 

 propriety and elegance to the scenery, and to produce 

 Lhat pleasing effect, which is the chief object of land- 

 scape gardening. Mechanics, in all its branches, 

 is required for the purposes of horticulture. 



Great improvements have been effected in garden- 

 ng within the last half century. During the age of 

 Cicero, a formal kind of gardening prevailed, charac - 

 terized by clipped hedges and long avenues of trees. 

 Pliny the Younger has given an account of his villa 

 at Laurentum, and from the description, it was rather 

 distinguished for its numerous superb edifices, exten- 

 sive prospects, and the systematical arrangement of 

 the pleasure grounds, than for the improvements and 

 decorations of the surrounding scenery, in accordance 

 with those principles which are derived from a close 

 observance of the pleasing effects of nature. The 

 rural residences of the Romans appear to have been 

 mere places of temporary retreat, and were planted 

 with odoriferous flowers and shrubs, and ornamented 

 rather by the civil architect than the horticultural 

 artist. From the establishment of the papal govern- 

 ment to the commencement of the thirteenth century, 

 the monks were the only class of persons who at- 

 tended to ornamental gardening. After that period, 

 the style prevalent throughout Europe consisted in 

 tall hedges, square parterres fantastically planted, 

 straight walks, and rows of trees uniformly placed 

 and pruned. In fact, but little improvement was 

 made from the time of the emperors Vespasian and 

 Titus until the reign of George III. of Britain. It 

 is true, Hampton court had been laid out by cardinal 

 Wolsey ; Le Notre had planted Greenwich and St 

 James's park during the reign of Charles II. ; and, 

 in that of George II. queen Caroline had enlarged 

 Kensington gardens, and formed the Serpentine 

 river ; but lord Bathurst was the first who deviated 

 from straight lines, as applied to ornamental pieces of 

 water, by following the natural courses of a valley. 

 Still, what has been emphatically called the Dutch 

 system universally prevailed, and the shearing of 

 yew, box, and holly into formal figures of various 

 kinds, and the shaving of river banks into regular 

 slopes, went on until their absurdity became con- 

 temptible, and a better and more natural taste was 

 induced. Verdant sculpture, regular precision in the 

 distribution of compartments, and rectangular bound- 

 ary walls, yielded to more chaste designs. Bridge- 

 man succeeded to London and Wise, and became a 

 distinguished artist ; he rejected many of the absurd 

 notions of his predecessors, and enlarged the bounds 

 of horticulture. Other innovators departed from the 

 rigid rules of symmetry ; but it was reserved for 

 Kent to realize the beautiful descriptions of the 

 poets, and carry the ideas of Milton, Pope, Addison, 

 and Mason more extensively into execution. Ac- 

 cording to lord Walpole, he was painter enough to 

 taste the charms of landscape, sufficiently bold and 

 opinionative to dare and to dictate, and born with a 

 genius to strike out a great system from the twilight 

 of imperfect essays. He leaped the fence, and saw 

 that all nature was a garden. The great principles 

 on which he worked were perspective, light, and 

 shade. Groups of trees broke a too extensive lawn ; 

 evergreens and wood were opposed to the glare of 

 the champaign, and, by selecting favourite objects, 

 and veiling deformities, he realized the compositions 

 of the great masters in painting. Where objects 

 were wanting to animate his horizon, his taste as an 

 architect could immediately produce them. His 

 buildings, his temples, his seats, were more the work 

 of bis pencil, than of his science as a constructor. 



