4 HORTICULTURE. 



that can most interest those whose feelings are firmly rooted in the 

 soil, and its kindred avocations. The garden and the orchard ; the 

 hot-house and the conservatory ; the park and the pleasure-grounds ; 

 ah 1 , if we can read them rightly, shall be made to preach useful 

 lessons in our pages. All fruitful and luxuriant grounds shall we 

 revel in, and delight to honor. Blooming trees, and fruitful vines, 

 we shall open our lips to praise. And if nature has been over-par- 

 tial to any one part of the globe, either in good gardens, fair flowers, 

 or good fruits, if she has any where lavished secret vegetable trea- 

 sures that our cultivators have not yet made prizes of, we promise 

 oui readers to watch closely, and to give a faithful account of them. 

 Skilful cultivators promise to make these sheets the repository of 

 their knowledge. Sound practice, and ingenious theory will be con- 

 tinually developed and illustrated. The humblest cottage kitchen 

 garden, as well as the most extended pleasure-grounds, will occupy 

 the attention of the pens in our service. Beautiful flowers shall 

 picture themselves in our columns, till even our sterner utilitarians 

 shall be tempted to admire and cultivate them; and the honeyed, 

 juicy gifts of Pomona shall be treated of till every one who reads 

 shall discover that the most delicious products of our soil are no 

 longer forbidden fruits. 



Fewer, perhaps, are there, who have watched as closely as our- 

 selves the zeal and enthusiasm which the last five years have 

 begotten in American Horticulture. Every where, on both sides 

 of the Alleghanies, are our friends rapidly turning the fertile soil into 

 luxuriant gardens, and crying out loudly for more light and more 

 knowledge. Already do the readers of rural works in the United 

 States number more than in any cisatlantic country, except garden- 

 ing England. Already do our orchards cover more acres than 

 those of any other country. Already are the banks of the Ohio 

 becoming famous for their delicate wines. Already are the suburbs 

 of our cities, and the banks of our broad and picturesque rivers, 

 studded with the tasteful villa and cottage, where a charming taste 

 in ornamental gardening is rapidly developing itself. The patient 

 toil of the pioneer and settler has no sooner fairly ceased, than our 

 people begin to enter with the same zeal and spirit into the refine- 

 ments and enjoyments which belong to a country life, and a country 



