Botanj^ and. Entomology necessary to Gq^rdeners. 



Anr. II. On the Necessity of the Study of Botany and Entomology 

 to Gardeners. By Joshua Major, Esq., Landscape-Gardenei-. 



Some time ago I visited a large town, in which a very respect- 

 tible Horticultural Society had for some time been established ; 

 and my visit happened to be made at the time the managing 

 committee was sitting to arrange plans for tiie exhibitions that 

 were shortly after to take place. The chairman of the com- < 

 niittee very kindly invited me to attend, and I was much pleased 

 with the meeting, every thing being pleasantly and properly 

 discussed. 



It struck me at the time, that, as the great object of horticul- 

 tural societies is to promote the science of gardening, two most 

 important branches of that science particularly claim the atten- 

 tion of such societies; viz. botany and entomology; which are 

 so little attended to by gardeners generally, that we might sup- 

 pose they were quite unconnected with the profession ; while, at 

 the same time, I think it requires no argument to show to the 

 gardener who is ignorant of them, that he is much beneath the 

 point of knowledge which he ought to have attained. Perhaps, 

 when I say botany and entomology ought to be studied as a part 

 of the science of gardening, I am imposing a task upon some 

 gardeners, which neither their time nor their education will 

 allow them to accomplish ; but every gardener who can read 

 and write, without a knowledge of which he has no business 

 to be a gardener, ought at least to inform himself of the names 

 of plants, their native places, the time of their introduction and 

 flowering, and the proper mode of their culture. The same 

 may be said of entomology : although a gardener may fancy 

 himself unable to acquire that science, there is no reason why 

 he should not acquaint himself with the habits of those insects 

 which prove injurious to vegetation generally, in order that he 

 may know the best time and season for their destruction ; and 

 of such other insects, and insectivorous birds which Providence 

 has appointed for their extermination, that he may not inad- 

 vertently destroy the insect-destroyer. Certainly, this knowledge 

 will be found to require no small labour ; but it is so essential, 

 that, if it is possessed and properly applied, the gardener, in- 

 stead of being disappointed by the loss of a great part of his 

 plants, fruits, and vegetables (which, although, perhaps, not 

 totally destroyed, will at least assume a dirty and crippled ap- 

 pearance), will find them, is most cases, to flourish in health and 

 beauty. Perhaps the young gardener might assist himself, in 

 some degree, by consulting the work which I published, some 

 time ago, on this subject (although it is far from being com- 

 plete) ; but I fear the price of it is so high, that but tew will 



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