REVIEW OF HORTICULTURE. 23 



It is not only those who are nsually termed nurserymen 

 that show great advancement and prosperity, hut their 

 co-laborers, the seedsmen and florists, are equally success- 

 ful. There ai'e probably, at the present time, more acres 

 covered with glass for the purpose of producing flowering 

 plants than there was open ground devoted to this branch 

 ten years ago. We could name several florists who not 

 many years since were quite content with two or three 

 city lots and one small green-house, that can now count 

 their glass I'oofs by the acre, and still they complain bit- 

 terly of the want of room. The same progress is apparent 

 with seedsmen ; acre after acre is annually added, until, as 

 in the case of David Landreth & Son, over six hundred acres 

 are entirely devoted to the growing of seeds by one firm. 



In addition to the untold millions of trees and plants 

 and tons of seeds produced at home, we import ship-loads 

 every year from abroad. It may be asked how the people 

 obtain information as to Avhere the trees, plants, and seeds 

 can be had, and how to cultivate them when obtained. 

 Our books and periodicals of the day furnish, in a great 

 part, the needful instructions ; but there is another medium 

 that we fear receives very little if any credit — even when 

 it is not entirely overlooked. We refer to the periodical 

 catalogues of seedsmen, nurserymen, and florists. A 

 rivalry appears to exist among the proprietors of the 

 various establishments as to who shall issue the best, or 

 nearest perfect catalogue. The result, as might be expect- 

 ed, is that many of them are condensed cyclopedias, giv- 

 ing not only complete and correct lists of the articles of- 

 fered, but full descriptions and modes of cultivation. 



