THE 



GARDENER'S MAGAZINE, 



DECEMBER, 1837. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. A summary "View of the Progress of Gardening., and of 

 Rural Improvement generally, in Britain, during the Year 1837; 

 tvith some Notices relative to the State of botli in Foreign Countries. 

 By the Conductor. 



In order to facilitate the comparison of this summary with that 

 given last year (see Vol. XII. p. 613.), we shall proceed nearly in 

 the same order we have there adopted ; viz. 1. The general Sub- 

 ject; 2. The Science of Gardening; 3. Practice; 4. Statistics; 

 5. Rural and Domestic Improvement generally ; 6. Gardening 

 and Rural Improvement in Foreign Countries ; and, lastly, 

 7. Obituary. 



THE GENERAL SUBJECT. 



Every year appears to add to the interest which is taken in 

 gardening pursuits in this country ; and for some departments, 

 particularly that of floriculture, the public at present may be 

 said to have a decided passion. The culture of the dahlia, 

 though it has not attained so extravagant a pitch in England as 

 that to which the tulip is said to have arrived in Holland, is yet 

 now engaged in, in Britain, by a much greater number of 

 persons than ever were possessed by tlie tulipomania. The 

 excitement produed by the premiums offered by societies for 

 excellence in this flower has been one of the chief sources of 

 income to nurserymen and florists throughout the country for 

 some years past; and is rather on the increase than otherwise. 

 It is satisfactory to find that it has not altogether absorbed the 

 attention and the energies of country gentlemen ; and that the 

 planting of the more choice kinds of trees and shrubs, and the 

 ibrming of pinetums and arboretums, though not yet so general 

 as the culture of dahlias, and the laying out of flower-gardens, 

 is making considerable progress. We should not wish to see 

 the ardour for the dahlia and other flowers in the slightest de- 

 gree diminished ; and, with respect to flower-gardens, they cannot 

 be too numerous, though we wish we could see them laid out 

 and planted in better taste: but, combined with this ardour for 



Vol, XIII. — No. 93. mm 



