8 



with a thrilling pathos to the heart, imbibed. These 

 are the eloquent pleadings of Nature, speaking in a 

 silent, but fervent language, to every reflecting mind. 

 Beings of a delicate and less gross composition, or- 

 ganized with a seemingly more exquisite design, they 

 address themselves, in their lowliness or magnificence, 

 to our attention with an unanswerable force. It is a 

 fact, no less curious than interesting, that a passion- 

 ate fondness for the Garden has been observed in very 

 many great men ; and in the quiet seclusion which 

 one may find there, have originated works, the aston- 

 ishment of the world. That touching lesson, too, of 

 confidence in a Superior Power, which the exquisite 

 beauty of a small moss on the arid plains of an Afri- 

 can desert, gave to an enterprising traveler, at a time 

 when every circumstance seemed conspired against 

 him, by imparting a new energy to his mind, and for- 

 titude to his heart, saved to the world an invaluable 

 life ;* and many a high resolve or virtuous decision 

 has undoubtedly owed its origin and performance to 

 such silent monitors of good. 



Horticulture, in its most extended sense, embraces 

 the first and most simple operation of civilized life, 

 and, at the same time, constitutes one of the highest 

 subjects for the ingenuity of the mind. He that 

 committed the first seed to the earth, with the ex- 

 pectation of again receiving it many fold, employed 

 his reason and faculties in the primary rudiment of 

 that science : but for many long ages were the mys- 

 terious, yet immutable laws which gave development 

 and increase to the embryo germ, hidden from the 



* Life of Mungo Park. Family Library, Vol. XL. 



