NATIONAL COUNCIL OF HORTICULTURE 69 



of herbs were imported and sold. Flowers were too great a luxury for 

 the colonists and with the exception perhaps of a few roses, honey- 

 suckle and pink milfoil, were not grown. 



FLORICULTURE. 



Not until the beginning of the eighteenth century was there oppor- 

 tunity to give much attention to flowers. About that time the wealthier 

 citizens of Philadelphia, Boston and New York began to cultivate 

 large gardens, usually arranged in terraces after the English style of 

 that period, about their residences. One of these estates in the very 

 heart of Boston, was the residence of Governor Belingham, and after- 

 wards of Andrew Faneuil, who built upon it the first greenhouse in 

 New England. On his decease it became the property of his nephew, 

 the famous Peter Faneuil, who presented to the city of Boston the 

 cradle of liberty. So beautiful was the garden that it became known as 

 Faneuil's Seven-Acre Eden. 



The revolution stopped further progress in horticulture until the 

 country became settled under the new government. Then began an 

 era in garden work, marked by a greater enthusiasm than ever be- 

 fore enthusiasm which got its impetus from Washington, as he sur- 

 veyed grounds at Mount Vernon and made plans indicating the location 

 for trees and shrubs, many of which he collected or imported from 

 Europe, and which upon arrival were planted by the same busy hands 

 that earlier in their existence had cut down the immortal cherry tree 

 and which later in life made pruning their favorite exercise enthu- 

 siasm which drew with it the second and third presidents of the 

 United States, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, as well as many 

 other notables of the eighteenth century enthusiasm so perennial and 

 vigorous that all predictions of progress have been more than fulfilled. 



A. J. Downing, in his excellent work on landscape gardening, pub- 

 lished about seventy years ago, said: "In the United States it is 

 highly improbable that we shall ever witness such splendid examples of 

 landscape gardens as those abroad," referring to Blenheim, Chatsworth, 

 Woburn Abbey and Arundel Castle. That which Mr. Downing 

 deemed improbable has taken place and gardens more elaborate and 

 costly are being constructed at the present time in the United States 

 than in any other country. Take for example, the beautiful gardens of 

 James B. Duke at Somerville, N. J., which have been under construc- 

 tion for six or seven years, under the guidance of that genius of land- 

 scape art, Horatio Buckenham, employing 1,200 persons and involving 

 an annual expenditure of $500,000 or more a. garden covering an area 

 of 10,000 acres. 



The pioneers of horticulture of 100 years ago were the wealthier 

 citizens; there were really no professional gardeners then. The Penn- 

 sylvania and Massachusetts Horticultural Societies were organized by 

 those interested amateurs. A similar society was organized in New 

 York in 1818 but ceased to exist in 1837. 



The first professional gardener to come to this country was John 



