78 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



I believe in the future, though conditions of garden lore in Eng- 

 land and America are not now the same. It may indeed be said 

 that a knowledge of gardening is a necessary part of a liberal educa- 

 tion across the sea, whereas with us an intelligent acquaintance 

 with gardens is indeed quite exceptional. How many American 

 ladies will naturally invite you to stroll around their gardens to see 

 the latest novelty in herbaceous plants, or the newest shrub from 

 China? How many American men will invite you to stroll into 

 the conservatory or greenhouse after dinner? Until these things 

 or something like them happen, garden writings of the expository 

 kind cannot be successfully produced among us because the pub- 

 lishers cannot afford to produce them for an unresponsive public. 



x\s forming the third great class are the writings of Record, 

 Description and Imagination. Here we look for the highest type 

 of work, both as regards subject matter and method of presentation, 

 literary quality, not mere manufacturing perfection (for a worthless 

 book may easily be launched on its way with all the superlative 

 trimmings of the publisher's art. Good looking covers do not 

 necessarily mean worth-while contents). This type of book may 

 be called the book of the future; yet that it will come is certain. 

 Indeed, the beginnings may be said to be here. As examples of 

 recent publications that more or less answer this requirement I 

 cite Thomas's The Practical Book of Outdoor Rose Growing, The 

 American Flower Garden (Blanchan), and The Garden Blue Book 

 of Holland. Books of record carefully written in the light of all 

 contemporary available knowledge, yet inspirational and practical, 

 are the ideals that we set before us. That there are differences in 

 character and calibre, great differences, as between the first and 

 the last types of book is e\ddent. To exactly grade these differ- 

 ences is a difficult task and the effort here made is open to criticism. 



The transition of garden literature has been from the dogmatic 

 and empirical through a few topical volumes to the teachers' text 

 books and manuals of commercial interest, to the finer inspirational 

 writings that are just looming upon us. First the practical worker, 

 then the trader, followed by the investigator and teacher and the 

 enthusiast who gardens for pure joy. 



It would seem that much of the ultimate writings of gardens are 

 to be done by women. Modern women writers who are addicted 



