Various Matters by Agronome. 289 



at 2s. 6d., if he had any desire to become proficient in modern 

 horticulture. As we are now at peace with all the world, a 

 field is open for improvement, such as was never before 

 in our days. The whole continent of Europe, the whole 

 of the civilised world, are our friends and correspond- 

 ents ; and the progress of gardening, like the progress of 

 intellect, must make very rapid strides at this time. Also, 

 your correspondents (particularly myself) should be very care- 

 ful of what they write, if they have any wish or desire to make 

 themselves immortal, for one well written article is worth fifty 

 inferior ones. O ! how many thousands of mortals have made 

 themselves immortal by a few happy thoughts, or a few happy 

 strokes of the pen, when in a happy humour. I believe I 

 should never have heard of the poet Gray, if it had not been 

 for his Elegy in a Country Churchyard; nor of Blair, if it had 

 not been for his Grave, a Poem ; nor of Home, if it had not 

 been for his Douglas, a Tragedy,- nor of Thomson, but for his 

 Seasons ; nor of Milton, but for his Paradise Lost, &c. &c. : 

 and thousands might never have heard of Agronome, if it had 

 not been for some happy letter in the Gardeners Magazine ! 

 which letter, it may be, I know not; I presume it is not writ- 

 ten as yet, and shall in future adopt the following method : — 

 The moment [ receive the Magazine, I shall read it through, 

 and fix upon a subject, and write my letter the same evening ; 

 dream of it, and think of it next morning; read it over next 

 evening, erase, and interline it; dream, think, erase, and in- 

 terline again every day for a week : then copy off what I think 

 is perfection's self, and send it to you, who must read it, think 

 of it, dream about it, erase, and interline it, and superintend 

 the printing of it ; and then the public shall be treated with, 

 something capital, you may depend upon it ! I shall not 

 attempt to correct the grammar, spelling, or pointing of my 

 letters ; your printer's devil must do that : it is quite out of 

 my line. I never learned grammar ; if I had, I should have 

 neglected something of more importance. " Good parts are 

 better than parts of speech." At all events, I am sure the 

 Magazine keeps mending every Number. I should like to 

 see a page or two of your Uortus Britannicus in the next 

 Number. I think it must be an excellent work, but I have 

 not resolved to purchase it as yet. But I must conclude; I 

 am getting dull and sleepy, and the sheet is nearly scribbled 

 over ; and yet I have said nothing either worthy of the Maga- 

 zine or the name of your very humble servant, who, for the 

 present, signs himself Agronome. 



Vol. III. —No. 11. u 



