610 Retrospective Criticism, 



cation will never check population ; but it will do infinitely better : it will 

 make a man better able to support his family, and it will make that family 

 more comfortable* by the creation of absolute wants, which to withhold 

 would shake the kingdom to its centre. By giving the capability of emi- 

 grating, it will further the intentions of Nature in spreading civilisation over 

 every portion of the habitable globe, and approximate the consummation of 

 that felicity which must have been in the designs of a beneficent God when 

 he laid the foundations of this lower world. — N~. 



Garden Libraries. — Sir, As you request any and every one to give their 

 opinion concerning garden libraries, permit me, as a Cockney gardener (I 

 mean one of only a few yards square), to add my observations. Any method 

 that can rid us of the obstinate ignorant set of blue-apron men that we 

 are obliged in general to employ, is a point devoutly to be wished. I 

 recently asked a man, who had been employed for fifty years as a gentle- 

 man's gardener, if he had seen such a book (mentioning Lawrence on Gar- 

 dening), and was answered, " Books ! What can I learn from books ? 

 What can they teach me more than I know ? " — I replied, " You will learn 

 from them what the Scotchman has learned." — " What's that ? " was the 

 instant question j and directly answered, " To get the superior places as 

 master gardeners, and keep the Englishmen as labourers." My man was, as 

 you may suppose, totally silenced. I have a large collection myself of the 

 old writers on the subject, which I am in the habit of lending to my friends, 

 and sometimes to my workman, if he wishes to beguile his evenings in im- 

 proving himself, and to keep from the alehouse ; but of the latter set I can 

 find but few, from the natural, or unnatural (which you please), aversion 

 the common-place gardeners have from book-learning. I need not tell you 

 how many articles have been brought forward as new discoveries that are 

 mentioned by the old authors ; and how vexed must the well informed, but 

 unread, man be, when he finds he has been imposed upon in this way ! I 

 therefore give a hearty concurrence to any thing that can improve so useful 

 a set of men. As I am not likely to ever arrive at keeping an establish- 

 ment of the kind, I can only say, that, if I did, I should consider a library 

 as a necessary tool. I therefore, situated as I am, think small horticultural 

 libraries, in the villages round London, would be of excellent service : the 

 gardeners to subscribe a small weekly sum for the privilege of using the 

 books, and the employers to be honorary members on paying a certain sum 

 down, or annually, towards the support ; by which means a library-room 

 might be made, and members appointed among the working-men, at a small 

 allowance, to keep things regular. This would be truly useful, as convers- 

 ation, one with the other, would greatly promote knowledge. Were I to 

 say that there are ten thousand small gardens round London that are much 

 injured by the obstinate and ignorant, I should be within bounds. As I have 

 many duplicates of the old writers in my possession, and on many of the 

 flyJeaves there are my notes of what have been copied almost verbatim by 

 the moderns, and what have been put forward as new discoveries, I shall 

 willingly give a collection to any establishment in my neighbourhood which 

 I think will be of service. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — Superficial. Brixton Villa. 



Landscape-Gardeners . — Mr. Morris's figure and description (Vol. I. 

 p. 116.) well represents what the writer wishes to convey : but I have in- 

 variably observed that all landscape-gardeners (fashionable ones) fall short 

 of producing a handsome effect upon estates, whatever they may advance 

 upon the subject ; and although the nobility and gentry are biassed by their 

 agents, who are generally better educated than gardeners, I feel convinced 

 that an experienced gardener is capable of producing a much better effect, 

 and I am confident with much less than half the expense always incurred 

 by employing those useless intruders of the profession, generally called land- 

 scape-gardeners, although in your Introduction (Vol. I.) you appear to be 

 favourable to a different opinion. Like many land stewards, they wish to 



