Garden Libraries. 373 



to succeed, and a scheme is not the less useful and permanent for being 

 slowly adopted. Nothing can be truly great and lasting that does not proceed 

 by degrees, and require a considerable time for its completion. Whoever un- 

 derstands any thing of gardening as a science, and of vegetable physiology 

 and chemistry as connected with it, we are confident will agree with us in 

 anticipating a more general and effectual advancement of the art from the 

 improvement of the minds of gardeners, than from any other source or 

 means whatever. There is abundance of scientific and historical knowledge 

 in books ; what is chiefly wanting is to embody this knowledge in the 

 routine of the practical gardener, and there is no mode by which this can 

 be done so simply and effectually, as by rendering the working gardener, 

 also a reading gardener. 



No. IV. — Northivick Park Garden Library (p. 247.) 



Mr. Fulton writes that his employer, Lord Northwick, has kindly conde- 

 scended to assist him with what books he may point out, so that this library 

 may now be considered as belonging to the first class. 



The following have been established since February last : 

 No. V. — Meams's Shobden Court Garden Library. Established at Shob- 

 den Court, near Leominster, Herefordshire, March 15. 1827. 

 Mr. Mearns has collected, at his own expense, about 200 volumes of 

 elementary, professional, and miscellaneous works. He frequently takes 

 young men who can read but little, and write none, and carries them 

 through ~jl course of useful instruction, so as to fit them for advancing in 

 their profession. Mr. M. recommends " Bingley's Book of Knowledge," 

 5 vols. 12mo. 1/. Is.; and to all who have been but little at any school, the 

 " Expeditious Instructor," 1 vol. 18mo. Is. 6d., and " Greig's World Dis- 

 played," 1 vol. 8vo. 12s. 6d. " Bingley's Book of Knowledge" being pub- 

 lished by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, " can be had 

 reasonable by young men in the country, through clergymen and others 

 who are subscribers to that Society. " Elegant, Extracts, Prose," 1vol. 

 royal 8vo. 15s. "ought not to be excluded from garden libraries ; as its 

 perusal will add much to the improvement as well as to the amusement 

 of the gardener's leisure hours." 



No. VI. — Rollins's Foxteth Park Garden Library. Established for the 

 Use of the Practical Gardeners and Cottagers in that Part of the neigh- 

 bourhood of Liverpool, March 26. 1827. 



This library is supported and patronised by Mr. Joseph Whalley, nursery- 

 man, Everton; Mrs. Ed. Cropper, and Miss Cropper of Dingle Bank; Mr. 

 Henry Shepherd, Liverpool Botanic Garden ; Wm. Roscoe, Esq. Lodge 

 Lane ; Mrs. Ed. Roscoe of High Park ; and about eighteen other ladies, 

 gentlemen, practical gardeners, and cottagers. A number of books have 

 been collected, but we have not yet received the list. 



No, VII. — Burns' s Mistley Hall Garden Library, Second Class. Esta- 

 blished by Mr. Wm. Burns, at Mistley Hall Gardens, April 2. 1827. 



This library consists of about fifty well selected books, and some mathe- 

 matical instruments ; to it and each of the others one volume has been pre- 

 sented from Mr. Massey's«present (Gard.Mag. vol. ii. p. 247.), some volumes 

 from Messrs. Longman, Rees, and Co., and one or two as memorandums 

 from our own shelves. 



Village Libraries. — The good which would result from village and toivn 

 libraries, either with or without what might be called Labourers' Insti- 

 tutions, as suggested by our " Constant Female Reader" (p. 248.) there can 



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