ON THE 



CULTUKE OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS 

 IN IRELAND. 



INTRODUCTION. 



FROM the dawn of civilization, Poets and Philoso- 

 phers, inspired and uninspired, vie with each other 

 in praise of Horticulture. Nearly three thousand 

 years ago, Oriental Sovereigns took distant journeys 

 to hear lectures on this and other subjects, from that 

 gifted man who had "wisdom and understanding 

 exceeding much, and largeness of heart even as the 

 sand that is on the sea shore." The Queen of Sheba 

 returned home from Jerusalem, convinced by what 

 she there witnessed, that one-half of the greatness of 

 his wisdom had not been told her. And in the ac- 

 count of King Solomon's knowledge, that of the 

 vegetable world is prominently mentioned ; when he 

 spake of Trees, from the Cedar that<is in Lebanon, 

 even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall. 



