18 KECOKD OF HORTICULTURE. 



11. 



REVIEW OF HORTICULTURE. 



The rise of Horticulture in America is so recent, and its 

 progress has been so rapid and brief, that one can scarcely 

 realize how a business of such vast jDroportions could have 

 been established in so short a time. It is true that the 

 foundation was laid many years since — for at the begin- 

 ning of the present century Horticulture had become a 

 feature of American industry. The means, however, of dis 

 seminating knowledge upon the subject were of a very 

 primitive character. Fifty years ago, the few books in cir, 

 culation were mainly of European origin ; these, with an 

 occasional article in the newspapers of the day, constituted 

 the entire horticultural literature of America ; and it is but 

 little more than thirty years since Horticulture commenced 

 its rapid strides toward its present prominent position. 



Among the veterans who are still with us, and Avho have 

 for many years ably and earnestly assisted in disseminat- 

 ing useful information upon the subject, as well as intro- 

 ducing and growing many of our best fruits and flowers, 

 we have Wilder, Downing, Buist, Breck, Kenrick, Hovey, 

 Barry, Warder, Kirtland, the brothers Feast, I. Buchanan, 

 (i. Graham, J. J. Thomas, and several othci-s, who weie tlie 

 ])illnrs of the structure long before the science of Horticul- 

 tui-e liad readied auytlniig a))j)i-<)\iinatiiig its j)resent pi"o- 

 portions. These men are still in the raiil<s, aiding us with 



