312 Difference between Mixture and Variety. 



The gardener who understands a little of the natural system 

 of botany, will observe, that the result to be produced by this 

 arrangement of Tulips and Chrysanthemums, bears a great 

 affinity to that which is effected by applying the natural 

 system to the whole vegetable kingdom. The result may be 

 called, with reference to the great number of genera of plants, 

 and varieties of Tulips, a simplification of multiplicity — the 

 placing many things in an order by which they may be easily 

 comprehended — by arranging them in relationship, or in 

 what may be called in Tulips or Chrysanthemums, a natural 

 system of colours. The difference between such a system 

 and that of mixture is great ; great in the ultimate effect, and 

 equally so in the means by which that effect is produced. 



We do not suppose that those who possess only a few 

 things of whatsoever kind, will think it fitting to show the 

 nakedness of their collections, by adopting variety instead of 

 mixture ; but those who have such an assortment of Tulips as 

 Mr. Groom, or of Chrysanthemums as the Horticultural So- 

 ciety, might afford to raise their aims a few degrees higher 

 in the scale of taste. 



The first step towards a knowledge and taste for variety, is 

 to be able to distinguish variety from mixture. Had we room, 

 it would be easy to show that the knowledge of what variety 

 is, would lead to an effectual desire to possess it ; that this 

 desire, applied to gardening, would produce a prodigious 

 increase in the botanical riches of country seats ; — that ap- 

 plied to the planting of shrubberies, for instance, it would lead 

 to the employment of twenty times the number of species of 

 trees and shrubs that are at present employed : — the present 

 meagre monotonous mixtures that gentlemen are content 

 with in most parts of the country would take their due place 

 at the bottom of the scale ; and every country-seat worth visit- 

 ing would be enriched with all the species and varieties of 

 hardy trees and shrubs which bear the open air in our climate. 

 What an interest would such places then excite, compared to 

 what they do at present ! And all that is wanting to produce 

 this interest, and enjoyment, and commerce, is a little more 

 knowledge of plants among gardeners, and a little more taste 

 and ambition among their employers. But the great draw- 

 back to improvement is, that the majority of mankind are 

 content with things as they are : the germs of new sources of 

 art, industry, and happiness, are in abundance around us, but 

 remain dormant till they are excited by genius and knowledge, 

 and appreciated by wealth and taste. — Cond. 



