into the Practices and Results ()f Horticulture. 395 



cessary to establish the science of horticulture), is so great, 

 and demands so much patience and attention, particularly 

 when a repetition of experiments is necessary, that it is, 

 perhaps, not to be wondered at, that so few persons have been 

 induced to undertake it : and as some of even those few have 

 given way to impatience, and published their anticipations of 

 results, instead of awaiting those of positive demonstration; it is 

 not surprising that the increase of books should increase, rather 

 than diminish, the prejudice against them. But I hope there 

 are many others, as well as myself, so attached to the art of 

 gardening, as not to be deterred from endeavouring to raise it 

 to its utmost state of perfection, and to establish it on the 

 true principles of science, by any required patience or labo- 

 rious attention. 



It is well known, that in the pursuit of objects of difficult 

 mental attainment, as well as corporeal, those which appeared 

 to require more than Newtonian powers, to insure success to 

 the efforts of any one person, have, by the united exertions of 

 a number, been attained with comparative ease ; and that it is 

 by such means, and the liberal communications of the students 

 and artists, that some of the most important sciences have been 

 established. I, therefore, as an advocate of science, and an 

 ardent admirer of the garden, take leave to propose to you, to 

 invite your subscribers to turn their attention to the discovery 

 and understanding of the causes of the different effects produced 

 by the practice of gardening, by putting certain operations and 

 applications imder a regular course of demonstrative experi- 

 ments, and communicating their observations and ideas through 

 your Magazine, for the examination and discussion of your 

 readers, as the best means to establish a system of practice on 

 the principles of science ; and I most willingly offer you my best 

 services to support such a plan. I presume I am not unknown 

 to you as the author of a work published with a view to establish 

 the art of gardening on the principles of science; and, although 

 I know that my doctrines have not been very kindly received 

 by the generality of gardeners, 1 also know, that they have been 

 thought worthy of the admiration of some of the most eminent 

 patrons of horticulture ; and I have good reason to believe that 

 the opposition and neglect they have met with, have arisen more 

 from their not being understood, and from prejudice and self- 

 interest, than from any proofs having been adduced of their 

 insufficiency. But, whatever may have been the cause of my 

 book having failed to become popular, or of my plans not 

 having been more generally adopted, it can scarcely be ex- 

 pected that any will deny the importance of my object. As, 

 however, it is well known that gardeners in general have a 



