On Improvement in Horticulture. 425 



Public nurseries, which belong to horticulture, are highly use- 

 ful to all communities in which they are located. They serve to 

 introduce and concentrate the vegetable productions of every 

 country, which are likely to subserve our wants or administer to 

 our rational gratification. The interchanges which take place be- 

 tween those of Europe and America, arc now managed with such 

 facility, that a new fruit, or a new flowering plant, which attracts 

 notice, and acquires value, on one continent, in a year or two be- 

 comes common in the nurseries of the other. The numerous 

 horticultural periodicals of the two continents, make us early ac- 

 quainted with whatever is new or valuable in either, and a single 

 season serves to propagate and to disseminate the desirable plant 

 on both. In this way we have been enabled to obtain the fine 

 new varieties of Flemish and French pears, in many instances 

 before they had fruited in England. The dahlia, in its natural sin- 

 gle flower, was first introduced into France in 1801, and subse- 

 quently into England. The skill of the horticulturist has since 

 transformed it into a double flower, and imparted to it all the col- 

 ors and tints v/hich are gratifying to the human eye. This orna- 

 ment of the garden, which is now found at all our nurseries, is 

 termed, by common consent, "The King," as the rose has been 

 cahed "The Queen of Flowers." And as regards fruits — I was 

 instrumental in bi'inging into notice, seven or eight years ago, a 

 fine new apple, the Jonathan, grafts of which I forwarded to 

 Europe. Five years ago I noticed it in the catalogue of the 

 London Horticultural Society, with the names of many other of 

 our local fruits which I sent, and also in catalogues from the Island 

 of Jersey, and from Hamburgh. The Stroat apple which I sent 

 at the same time had produced fruit in 1830, in the London Hor- 

 ticultural garden, and was classed, as it deserved to be, among 

 the first quality of apples. The ailanthus was first brought to 

 our country eight or ten years ago, by one of our consuls, from 

 farther India, and it is now growing, I believe, in almost every 

 state of the Union. 



As having particular relation to those who depend upon market 

 gardens for horticultural ])roductions, for daily use, I take occa- 

 sion to remark, that the quality of market garden productions de- 

 pends materially on the judgment and liberality of the buyer. 

 The object of the gardener is profit; and so long as the purchas- 

 er regards the price rather than the quality, he will continue to 

 raise those varieties which give him the greatest product, which 

 are generally those of inferior quality. The difierence in the va- 

 rieties of the same vegetable are manifestly great. This exists 

 not only in their flavor, but in their nutritious and healthful prop- 

 erties; some varieties, particularly fruits, being absolutely preju- 

 dicial, while other varieties of the same species are highly con- 

 ducive to health. In the potato, for instance, the difierence in 



VOL. IV. NO. XI. 54 



