18 PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE. 



parts of the South of Ireland, the plow was attached to the 

 horses' tails, and that a great row was the consequence 

 when some meddling innovator suggested a change. It 

 appears that mankind, in all ages, is naturally conserva- 

 tive, and it takes years, sometimes centuries, to get out 

 of old ruts. If, while paying for labor one-third more, 

 we can sell our garden products here nearly one-half 

 lower than they are sold in Europe, the conclusion is in- 

 evitable, that we have learned how to make our labor 

 more effective than they do. 



The adage, that "A prophet is not without honor save 

 in his own country," is true in this matter as in many 

 others ; for we find that most Americans having horti- 

 cultural tastes, when visiting Europe buy largely there, 

 their plants costing them twice as much for half dead 

 trees or plants, as they would pay at home for healthy 

 ones. It is often the case, especially with fruits, that 

 the varieties purchased are utterly useless for our climate. 

 For example, the Jargonelle Pear, Ribston Pippin Apple, 

 and Keen's Seedling Strawberry, still hold a first place 

 in the English gardens, while experience has shown them 

 to be worthless here. So with many ornamental trees ; 

 beautiful as are the varieties of English Holly and Rhodo- 

 dendrons, hundreds of Americans have poured down 

 anathemas on the heads of European nurserymen for sell- 

 ing them as " hardy," plants that the frosts of our North- 

 ern States, or the hot sun of the South, utterly destroyed 

 the first season. 



