THE 



GARDENERS MAGAZINE, 



FEBRUARY, 1837. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. On the Importance of Gardeners' possessing general and 

 scientific Knoxvledge, for the Purpose of effecting Improvements in 

 their Art. By Robert Fish. Read at a Meeting of the West 

 London Gardeners' Association, Dec. 19. 1836; and communicated 

 to the Gardeners Magazine in consequence of a Resohjtion passed 

 by that Society. 



Knowledge and ignorance are opposite, and yet, to a cer- 

 tain extent, aie correlative and convertible terms. To enable a 

 man to make a definition of what knowledge is, he must first be 

 able to give a true description of its counterpart. Hence the 

 sentiments we entertain respecting knowledge or ignorance will 

 bear an exact analogy to the progress which we have made in 

 the acquisition of knowledge. The sages of India or of Egypt 

 would entertain ideas concerning knowledge as different from 

 those conceived of it by the modern philosophers of Europe, as 

 would be found exemplified in the case of the untutored peasant 

 boy, when contrasted with the genius and the intellect of a 

 Newton. Nor would the ideas of these respective classes con- 

 cerning knowledge be more diversified, than the effects of the 

 knowledge possessed by each would be varied. In individuals 

 of the first class, we should have seen as much superiority in 

 knowledge as was sufficient to fill the minds of its possessors 

 with self-gratulation, and to inspire them with contempt and 

 dei'ision for the ignorant around them : but, in individuals of 

 the latter class, we are forcibly struck by the fact, that the more 

 expanded their intellect has become, and the greater the range 

 of knowledge over which they have travelled, the more have 

 they been distinguished for condescension of manners, and 

 humility of spirit. Instances, indeed, may occur of individuals 

 of splendid attainments regulating their conduct by narrow- 

 minded principles; but we are willing to believe that such 

 instances are rare. We do not, therefore, contend that the 

 Vol. XIII. — No. 83. e 



