50 Importance qf general and scientific Knomledge 



possession of great knowledge is always followed by philan- 

 thropic views; but we do contend that, from the prejudices it 

 subverts, the respect to the opinion of others it engenders, and 

 the feeling of self-deficiency it inspires, it exerts a powerful in- 

 fluence in promoting feelings of kindness between man and man ; 

 teaching us that our pursuit of happiness will be vain, unless we 

 associate that pursuit with attempts to promote the happiness of 

 others. Independently, then, of the personal advantages which 

 the possession of general and scientific knowledge confers, we 

 consider that, from the friendly collision between kindred minds 

 which it encourages, and the habits of reflection and investiga- 

 tion it produces, we are fully warranted in urging its importance 

 upon the attention of gardeners, convinced that its acquisition 

 will put within their reach a powerful command of mechanism 

 for effecting improvements in their art. 



This will farther appear, if we reflect upon the improvements 

 which have been made in gardening and other sciences, the 

 means by which these improvements have been effected, and 

 the doubts and uncertainties under which we still labour. 



In the first place, then, it might almost be left as a self-evident 

 proposition, that every art and science is advancing in the course 

 of improvement. To deny such a position, would be tantamount 

 to asserting that man's attainments in knowledge had remained 

 stationary, if they had not become retrogressive. This opinion 

 is held by some ; but in it we cannot agree ; for, independently 

 of the fact that, while some countries have become enlightened, 

 others have receded into barbarism ; independently, too, of the 

 fact, that for centuries the human mind wasted its powers in 

 profitlessly roaming amid the mazes of a false philosophy ; we 

 do consider that the wonderful discoveries which have been 

 made, and the strong energetic desire of invention which dis- 

 tinguishes the period in which we live, warrant us in coming to 

 the conclusion, that knowledge and improvement are advancing 

 with a giant's pace, and that every seeming drawback only re- 

 sembles the ebbing ripple which accompanies the waves of the 

 flowing tide. Nor have we any reason for believing that the art 

 of gardening has alone remained uninfluenced by the onward 

 movement. It is now far from enough that a gardener should 

 know when to plant or sow, or how to handle dexterously a spade 

 or a hoe. The gardener who aims at excelling must act upon 

 the principle that his profession is one of enquiry, one in which 

 practice ought to be based upon scientific induction. True, we 

 are in doubt and uncertainty respecting many of the primary 

 principles of gardening; and the ardent investigator may have 

 his ardour sobered down amid the diversity of opinions with 

 which he is surrounded, each alike presenting its peculiar claims 

 for his acceptance. But, while this diversity of sentiment proves 



