110 [Assembly 



has seen numbers of his fellow florists, like the beautiful flowers 

 which demanded their care, "flourish, droop, and die," but he still 

 lives in the enjoyment of a vigorous old age, an ornament to his 

 profession. Mr. P. states that there were but few market gardens 

 above his, south of Dykeman's estate, near King's Bridge, a part of 

 which was then appropriated to the cultivation of vegetables. Most 

 of the garden productions with which the New-York market was then 

 supplied, were raised on our island, with the exception of cab- 

 bage from Bergen, green peas, potatoes and melons from Long Is- 

 land cucumbers from West Chester county. 



In the year 1828, the late Mr. William Wilson published a work 

 entitled 'TAe Economy of the Kitchen Garden, Orchard, and Vinery,^* 

 in which he gave the result of twenty-seven years' experience. In 

 this publication Mr. Wilson disparaged the opinions contained in 

 ""TAe American Gardener," written by the celebrated Cobbett some 

 years previous. In a controversy which was inserted in "TAe JYew- 

 York Farmer and Horticultural Repository,'" he admitted that we had 

 less than twenty varieties of culinary vegetables under cultivation 

 at that time. This " paper war" gave rise to the publication of 

 my ''Young Gardener^ s Assistant," which, from a small pamphlet, 

 has gradually increased to a bulky volume, that has found its way 

 into every section of the Union, and been perused as a text-book by 

 thousands engaged in the pleasurable pursuits of horticulture. 



The art of cultivating garden productions is now generally known, 

 and the facilities for their rapid transportation being without a par- 

 allel, the markets of New-York are at present supplied with every 

 vegetable that the palate of man could desire. What an amazing 

 change has been effected within the last generation, by the association 

 of intellect in the furtherance of plans for the advancement of supe- 

 rior methods of culture. The scene presented at the Castle Garden 

 during the present anniversary, was one calculated to warm the ileart 

 of every patriotic visitor. Here, clothed in modesty and beauty, the 

 rose, the peerless "queen of flowers," charmed the sight, and diffused 

 around its grateful fragrance; here, too, the dahlia, in all the splendor 

 of its matchless hues, elicited admiration from the lover of nature, 

 while the rich products of the garden, the orchard, and the field, 

 evinced the perfection which had been achieved by the gardener 

 and husbandman; here were exhibited the encourajjing results of 

 a generous rivalry, the glorious evidences of progressive improve- 

 cient. 



