182 



GENESEE FARMER. 



July. 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. 



CONDUCTED BY P. BARRY. 



Even at this day there are not a few but a 

 very large number of persons, in every part of 

 the c untry, who continue to look upon Horti- 

 culture as a sort of expensive luxury. Not long 

 ago, a very serious, and as he supposed himself 

 to be, philosophic sort of personage, remark- 

 ed to us, that, " if the taste for gardening 

 should continue to increase, as it has done for 

 a few years past, the country would be ru- 

 ined/" This was his solemn conviction, poor 

 man. We told him politely he was mistaken ,• 

 we ought to have told him plainly the fact 

 that it was a shame for him to be so ignorant. 

 That individuals may allow their tastes to carry 

 them beyond their means in gardening, as in 

 other matters, we do not deny — though instances 

 of this kind, in this country, are yet "few and 

 far between." But the increase of taste for 

 gardening in general, instead of being a draw- 

 back or burthen upon the resources of the 

 country, will add moaeurably to the national 

 wealth, and is really at the present moment aug- 

 menting it far beyond what most people seem to 

 be aware. For instance, the Report of the 

 Commis-ioner of Patents for the year 1847, 

 just published, estimates the amount of orchard 

 products at -$8,853,422 ; products of gardens 

 estimated at $4.5,000,000 ; products of nurseries, 

 $724,111 ; making the aggregate amount of 

 horticultural productions for the year $54,-577,- 

 533. And this we think is a low estimate. The 

 last item, nurseries, is evidently too low. The 

 Horticulturist states, quoting also from Mr. 

 Burke's Report, the horticultural products a- 

 mount to $459,577,533, which we think he 

 will find an error of only about $400,000,000 

 or more. Bui ffty four millions and a half of 

 dollars is no small item. 



And this is no exaggerated or imaginary re- 

 sult, put forth by some interested party, or hot 

 headed enthusiast, but facts and figures carefully 

 brought together by Mr. Burke, who, it is well 

 known, fills his office with great ability, and 

 who takes a deep interest in the rural affairs of 

 our country, as his reports show, and as we 

 know from a brief personal interview, during 

 his visit to Western New York, last summer. 



But American Horticulture is in its infancy. 

 Until within two years there was but one journal 

 devoted exclusively to the promotion of Horti- 

 cultural Science in the country, and that received 

 but a feeble support. Now there are two, and 

 the Agricultural Journals are all giving more or 

 less attention to gardening matters — some, fol- 

 lowing the plan of this journal, give it a sepa- 

 rate place in their papers. A year or two ago, 

 there was but two or three Horticultural Socie- 

 ties in existence, worth naming. Now, there is 



scarcely a large town in the country but has 

 one ; there are 7 or 8 in this state alone ; and 

 at the present moment, as we peruse our ex- 

 changes, we find notices of Horticultural Socie- 

 ties and Exhibitions not only "from Maine to 

 Georgia," but throughout the whole land, North, 

 South, East and West. 



These journals, and these societies — these 

 weekly, monthly and yearly exhibitions of the 

 rich and beautiful products of the garden — are 

 exercising an imn)ense influence, perceptible 

 wherever we cast our eyes, and cannot fail in 

 time to diffuse a taste for, and a knowledge' of 

 garden culture to the remotest corners, and into 

 every household — swelling annually to a great 

 sum the aggregate amount of garden and orchard 

 products, and consequently augmenting the na- 

 tional wealth. But important as horticulture is 

 in this country, as a branch of productive indus- 

 try, it has other great claims to public attention. 

 It contributes in a greater degree than any of 

 us can appreciate, to the health, comfort and 

 happiness of all classes — rich and poor — in town 

 and country. With its magic wand, it <-nnverls 

 the common into fruitful gardens and blooming 

 parterres. It collects from every part of the 

 globe fruits and flowers, to enrich and adorn 

 civilized life. It plants our streets and parks 

 with trees that yield their grateful shade and 

 shelter. It trains the Scarlet Runner, and 

 Morning Glory by the windows of the humble 

 cot, making what would be dreary and desolate, 

 smile with beauty — and makes of the grounds 

 of the more wealthy, a second Eden. In fine, 

 it spreads beauty everywhere, and aids power- 

 fully in civilizing and refining men, and attach- 

 ing all to home and country. 



The immortal Cowper, whose heart was full 

 of love for nature, and gardening, in the follow- 

 ing lines, which we must be pardoned for quo- 

 ting, conveys an impressive and delightful lesson, 

 that cannot fail to be appreciated by every one 

 who cultivates his own soil in the right spirit : 

 "To study culture, and with artful toil, 

 To meliorate and tame ihe stubborn soil ; 

 To give dissimilar, yet fruitful lands, 

 The grain, or herb or plant that each demands : 

 To cherish virtue in an humble state, 

 And share the joys your bnunly may create : 

 To mark the matchless workings of the power 

 Tiiat shuts within its seed tiie future flower ; 

 Bids these in form of elegance excel, 

 In color these, and lliose delight Ihe smell : 

 Sends forth the dniighlcr of the skies. 

 To dance on earth and charm all human eyes, 

 To teach the canvas innocent deceit. 

 Or lay the landscape on the snowy slieet. — 

 These, these are art* ["irsued without a crime 

 That leaves no slain upon the wing of time.'" 



Could ideas more comprehensive be con- 

 ceived, or more agreeably expressed ? At the 

 present moment there is a great movement agi- 

 tating the public mind in regard to the amelio- 

 ration of man's worldly condition. A thou- 

 sand theories relating to government, association 

 and direction of labor and capital are suggested ; 



