PREFACE. T 



arorth something ; but, if they are generally found 

 /ery deficient in knowledge of their business in Eng 

 land, what must those of them be who come to 

 America ? Every man, who can dig and hoe and 

 rake, calls himself a Gardener as soon as he lands 

 here from England. This description of persons are 

 generally handy men, and, having been used to 

 gpade-work, they, from habit, do things well and 

 neatly. But as to the art of gardening, they gene- 

 rally know nothing of it. I wished to carry the 

 nicer parts of gardening to perfection, at Botley. I 

 succeeded. But I took care to employ no man who 

 called himself a gardener. I selected handy and 

 clear-headed farm-labourers. They did what I or- 

 dered them to do ; and offered me none of their ad- 

 cice or opinions. 



9. There is a foible of human nature, which great- 

 ly contributes to establish and perpetuate the power 

 and the mischief of pretended gardeners. Tell a 

 gentleman, that this is wrong, or that is wrong, in 

 the management of his garden, and he instantly and 

 half-angrily replies, that his gardener is a very skil- 

 ful man. " That may be," said I once to a friend, 

 who, at an enormous expense, had got two or three 

 poor little melons, while I, at hardly any expense 

 it all, had large quantities of very line ones : " That 

 may be," said I, " for skill may consist in getting 

 you to expend your money without getting you any 

 fruit." The truth is, however, that it is not a desire 

 to be deceived, that produces this species of per- 

 verseness : it is a desire not to be thought foolish. 

 The gentleman has chosen the gardener ; and, the 

 reason why he stickles for him is, that, if he allow 

 the gardener to be a bad one, he himself has made 

 a bad choice ; and that would be an imputation on 

 \is understanding, rather than allow which to be 



