for the Improve menl of Gardening. 53 



proved upon by the genius of a Watt, bringing in subservience 

 to his purposes the combined knowledge of the sciences of 

 pneumatics, hydrostatics, and mechanics ? In what a situation 

 would the healing art of medicine be placed, if it had derived no 

 assistance from the sciences of botany and mineralogy, elucidated 

 by the science of chemistry ; and the knowledge of the structure 

 and properties of the constituent parts of the human system, as 

 revealed by the science of animal anatomy ? Not to multiply 

 instances, let us come to our own profession ; and, in comparing 

 the ignorant superstitious usages of the past with the compara- 

 tively enlightened practices of the present, are we not warranted 

 in asking, if ever it would have arrived at its present position, in 

 one and all of its subdivisions, if the influence of climate had 

 not been studied, nor yet any attention paid to the sciences of 

 geography, vegetable physiology, and chemistry as applied to 

 the analysis of the substances of which plants are composed, and 

 of the constituent parts of the soil in which they grow ? From 

 what has been stated, we consider that it will be apparent to all, 

 that it is of great importance to possess a stock of general infor- 

 mation, which at all times can be brought to bear upon our own 

 particular profession. 



The condition of gardening is now such, that little improve- 

 ment can be expected from holding on in the same beaten track. 

 We must strike out a fresh path, by bringing the facts and prin- 

 ciples of other sciences to bear upon our own. To do this, 

 there is an absolute necessity, and also a high source of encou- 

 ragement. A necessity, because it will not now do to tell our em- 

 ployers that such a thing is, because it is ; as he will expect to 

 receive a I'ational account for the success or failure of all our 

 operations, and, what is more, will very likely himself be able to 

 detect the cause of either : an encouragement, not merely because 

 the field is extensive, and almost unexplored, but also because 

 most of those who have attempted to elucidate the science of 

 gardening have been strangers to practical details, and, hence, 

 have sometimes been misled ; which is not so likely to be the 

 case with those who combine the knowledge of scientific princi- 

 ples with the carrying of these principles into operation. 



We now proceed to consider the importance of general and 

 scientific knowledge, for clearing up the doubts and uncertainties 

 under which we still labour. We have adverted to diversity of 

 sentiment as a proof that knowledge is progressing ; we now 

 refer to the same fact as a proof that our knowledge is far from 

 perfection. Few indeed are the points, either in science or 

 practice, on which we are wholly agreed. As the objects of our 

 care are organic beings, and the circumstances in which they are 

 placed extremely varied, it is scarcely to be wondered at, that 

 the opinions of well-meaning men should be so very different. 



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