ADVICE FOR LACKLAND 



good fruit. The man who is all the summer 

 through turning some little tid-bit of flavor 

 upon the tip of his tongue, and going off into 

 fits of rumination upon the possible difference 

 of flavor between a Crimson-Cone when 

 watered from an oak tub, and a Crimson-Cone 

 when watered from a chestnut tub, seems to 

 me in a fair way of losing all the appreciable 

 and honest enjoyment of fruit which he ever 

 had in his life. There lives about the London- 

 Dock- Vaults a race of pimpled-faced men 

 whose professional service it is to guzzle small 

 draughts of Chateau Margaux or of rare 

 Port, which they whip about with their 

 tongues and expend their tasting faculties 

 upon, with enormous gravity: but who in the 

 world supposes that these can have the same 

 appreciation of an honest bumper of wine, 

 which a quiet Christian gentleman has, who 

 sits down to his dinner with a moderate glass 

 of good, sound Bordeaux at his elbow? 



Outsiders may, I think, find a little comfort 

 in this, and take courage in respect of their 

 old Hovey patches— if they will keep them 

 only clean and rich. 



But I have not said all this out of any want 

 of regard for Horticulture as an art, demand- 

 ing both skill and devotion ; nor have I said it 



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