Concluding Observations. 123 



A few parting words as to the prospects of orna- 

 mental gardening in our own island, and aptitude of 

 our people for such enjoyments. England has for a 

 century and a half been spoken of as a country of 

 gardens. About the middle of the last century, the 

 poet Gray wrote that skill in gardening or laying out 

 grounds is the only taste the English can call their 

 own the only proof of original talent in matters of 

 pleasure. The English garden is proverbial for 

 beauty, and it is said that the English cottage garden 

 stands alone in the world. The, gardeners of Scot- 

 land are celebrated, partly from the natural difficul- 

 ties with which they have to contend ; but the 

 climates and soils of Ireland are amongst the most 

 favoured in Europe for horticulture in general, and 

 specially for evergreens of various kinds. Centuries, 

 ago, Lord Bacon spoke of Ireland as " a country 

 blessed with almost all the dowries of nature with 

 rivers, havens, woods, quarries, good soil, temperate 

 climate, and a race and generation of men valiant,, 

 hard, and active, as it is not easy to find such a con- 

 fluence of commodities, if the hand of man did join 

 with the hand of nature ; but they severed the harp 

 of Ireland is not strung or attuned to concord." 



What Sir William Temple, in his Essay on the 

 Garden of Epicurus, says about the climate of Eng- 

 land, seems strongly applicable to our island. Speak- 

 ing of his own oranges and other fruits, he says : " I 

 must needs add one thing more in favour of our 



