INTRODUCTION. 453 



ten thousand intervening species and varieties ol" 

 Natare*s choicest gifts ! 



Valuable and dear are these to many. What ex- 

 ertions have been made, what trouble taken, to ob- 

 tain them ! "What sums expended in laying out, and 

 in erecting suitable compartments for their culture ! 

 What care to propagate, to preserve, and to cherish 

 them I 



Let this care now be ours. Let us enter, with 

 pleasure, the Pleasure Garden, 



SECT. I. 



ON THE FORMATION OF SHRUBBRIES. 



We arc greatly beholden to shrubs for much of. 

 the pleasure and delight w^e enjoy in our gardens. 

 Though they produce no eatable fruits, nor afford 

 us any sort of novuishment, yet they are particular- 

 ly conducive to our comfort. In winter, they shel- 

 t(^r us in our walks ; in summer, tliey shade us from 

 the sun. They afford a great variety of flowers ; 

 a varied foliage ; and are standard ornaments that 

 gi\e us no great trouble. They are particularly 

 useful in the character of screens, whether against 

 the weather, or to hide disagreeable objects ; in 

 which case they maybe planted nearer to the house 

 than forest-trees. When planted in masses at a dis- 

 tance, they become agreeable objects, and often 

 improve the scenery of a place. 



