148 Review of Loudon's Gardener's Magazine. 



that country. Cottage gardens have been much improved, and 

 the conductor remarks as follows : — 



" It has been obsei-ved to us, by others, and we have observed it our- 

 selves, dui'ing our occasional tours, that the gardens of cottagers by the 

 road side, have w^onderfully improved within these few years ; and we 

 have before often observed that, in many parts of the country, dahlias, 

 fuchsias, and other new plants are to be seen in them, which were for- 

 merly confined to gentlemen's gardens. This improvement, as we have 

 elsewhere stated, is chiefly owing to the exertions of the horticultural 

 societies, and partly, also, to the benevolent and patriotic exertions of 

 some gentlemen, who authorise their head gardeners to supply the cotta- 

 gers on their estates with such useful and ornamental plants as can be 

 spared, and are suitable for cottage gardens. Various gentlemen,* also, 

 in different parts of the country, requu'e their head gardeners to keep a 

 nursery of fruit trees and fruit shrubs, to be given away to their farmers 

 and cottagers. When we consider how greatly the beauty of the margins 

 of all our roads is increased by this practice, and how much it tends to 

 increase the comfort and happiness of the cottager, we cannot too high- 

 ly express our admiration of such practices. We only wish they might 

 prevail every where, and that every proprietor of land in Great Britain 

 or L'eland would adopt them." 



Commercial gardening is rather in a declining state ; the supply 

 being greater than the demand. Were it not for the immense num- 

 ber of plants which are annually exported to this country, it would 

 be much more depressed than it now is. Nurseries have become 

 very general throughout England, and those around the metropolis 

 make but few sales compared with those of former years. Their 

 articles are now limited to such as are new and rare, the more com- 

 mon being little sought after. It has always been a wonder with 

 individuals who import plants to this country, why they should re- 

 main so high at the present time, especially those sorts which have 

 for years been in the English nurseries. This is, no doubt, owing, 

 in a great measure, to the high rents which are paid for land, near 

 the cities of London and Liverpool, where only such plants are 

 grown as are wanted here. To this cause, and long credits, the 

 conductor attributes the high prices, and remarks that " nurserymen 

 will find, that, by calculating on small profits and extensive sales, 

 they will be greater gainers than by relying on high prices and se- 

 lect purchasers at indefinite credits." " This," he says, " indeed 

 is the spirit of the age, which it is in vain, for any person that 

 would live and thrive, long to resist." We most cordially agree 

 with these observations, and would ask the nurserymen of our own 

 country, and especially those in our vicinity, whether they would 

 not also be the greater gainers, if they were guided by this princi- 

 ple. It is useless to hold up articles, because, they are not neces- 

 sary to the absolute wants of life, at a price which none but the 

 solely affluent can purchase ; while persons of more humble means 

 would most gladly avail themselves of the opportunity to buy at 

 reasonable rates. The " spirit of the age " does, indeed, demand 



