of the most illustrious characters of England ; but the 

 origin, establishment, and extension of the present 

 improved style of gardening are of recent date. " Ba- 

 con was the prophet, Milton the herald, and Addison, 

 Pope, and Kent the champions of true taste." The 

 principles, which were developed in their writings, 

 and those of Shenstone, the Masons, and Wheatly, 

 and their successful application in the examples pro- 

 duced by the taste and genius of Bridgeman, Wright, 

 Brown, and Eames, soon rendered the system popu- 

 lar, and, gradually extending over Europe, it ulti- 

 mately reached this country. Still, gardening, in the 

 broadest signification of the term, did not receive that 

 distinguished and universal consideration, which it 

 merits, until the establishment of the London Horti- 

 cultural Society, which constitutes an era in the an- 

 nals of Great-Britain, of momentous import. It has 

 given an impetus to cultivation, which is felt in the 

 remotest regions of the globe. The noble example 

 has been followed in the most flourishing kingdoms of 

 the Eastern continent, and many similar institutions 

 have been founded in the United States. An interest 

 has thus been excited, and a spirit of inquiry awak- 

 ened, which cannot fail of producing highly important 

 results. The auspices are favorable, and the period 

 is not distant when these associations will become 

 the foci for concentrating, and from whence will be 

 disseminated the horticultural intelligence and prod- 

 ucts of every clime. 



Notwithstanding gardening preceded, it was ulti- 

 mately surpassed, by agriculture, for a long succession 

 6f ages ; still, when prosecuted with the lights of ex- 



Jiik^ 



