538 LITERATURE OF GARDENING. 



cultivators rather than writers, the " Hortus Amstelo- 

 damus" of Commelinus, and the "Dutch Gardener" of 

 Van Oosten being the principal works of Holland on 

 the subject after the revival of learning. 



The Belgium of to-day stands high among European 

 countries both for practical and theoretical gardening. 

 Owing to the fostering care of the present and preceding 

 sovereigns the horticultural schools of that country are of 

 the first order, and the horticultural literature is sound and 

 comprehensive. There are now two monthly periodicals 

 on gardening and botany profusely and beautifully illus- 

 trated, and many works on special branches of garden 

 literature, as VerschafTelt on the Camellia, published 

 in Belgium, and which stand in the very front rank of 

 horticultural literature. 



The literature of gardening is more plentiful in France 

 than in any other European country we have hitherto 

 spoken of. As early as the eighth century Charlemagne 

 in his " Capitularies " alludes to gardens, and gives a list of 

 what plants are best to set in them. The most elegant 

 writers in the French language have some charming 

 snatches on gardens, which I regret that time does not 

 allow me to introduce, but in the early history of French 

 literature there is but little on practical gardening. At 

 least from the time of Andre Lenotre (i/th century) the 

 French have given much attention to landscape gardening, 

 and the writings of Girardin of the past and Alphand of 

 the present are pretty familiar to those who follow this 

 subject. De Lille and Rapin are also well known by their 

 poems on gardens, while Etienne, Boyceau, Mollet, Liger, 

 Marion, Morel, Le Maistre, D'Argenville, and Watelet 

 wrote usefully and well. La Quintinye and Duhamel are 

 their greatest early writers on the subject, while Redoute"'s 

 " Les Roses " and u Liliaceae " are prominent among illus- 

 trated works. During the present century Charles Naudin, 

 Edouard Andre, Courtois Gerard, Poiteau, Hardy, Comte 

 L. de Lambertye, Vilmorin, and Decaisne are well to the 



