156 Lindlei/s Theory of Horticulture'. 



in vegetable physiology, as deduced in the investigations of the 

 botanist; and the second, the application of those laws to prac- 

 tice, as explained by the experience of the horticulturist." In 

 all this nothing of a speculative nature is indulged in ; no theory 

 acknowledged but that " which is founded upon direct experi- 

 ment, and proved by the most satisfactory course of enquiry." 

 In the first book. Dr. Lindley relies chiefly on his own intimate 

 acquaintance witli vegetable physiology, yet he never loses sight 

 of the views of the greatest horticultural physiologist that the 

 world has seen, T. A. Knight, Esq., late President of the Lon- 

 don Horticultural Society, and he dedicates the work to the 

 memory of that truly great and good man. If Mr. Knight were 

 amongst us now, how delighted he would be to see this work; 

 a work which the combined philosophy of Europe could not 

 produce at the time he began his horticultural experiments. 

 Even now, Dr. Lindley, with all the powers of his extensive 

 mind, could not have been able for the task, had it not been 

 through his connexion with the Hort. Soc. Garden. No, there 

 is not another place in this country where he could make himself 

 so thoroughly acquainted with the gardener's art. It is not phi- 

 losophy, nor scientific research, only, which could produce such a 

 work as this, but a combination of these with an intimate know- 

 ledge of the minutiae and manipulations of the gardener's art, 

 with which the mere man of science can have little acquaintance. 

 If I had met with such a book as this twenty years ago, I 

 would not have so many grey hairs in my head now. However, 

 it is gratifying to know that the rising race of gardeners are not 

 destined to go through such ordeal as we of the old school have 

 been subjected to. Yet among our difficulties we had pleasures 

 ■which must be denied to the rising race. We found out many 

 secrets among plants, and many modes of superior management, 

 which we enjoyed very much, but which are now looked on as 

 mere matters of course. In those days the woid principle was 

 as accommodating to us as the word constitution is at this day to 

 our politicians; that is, a something which might be applied to 

 suit any person's views. In this state Dr. Lindley found us 

 when he undertook to write this book for us, as he plainly tells 

 us in the second paragraph of his preface. 



" There must be a great want of sound knowledge of this subject, when we 

 find an author, who has made himself disthiguished in the history of English 

 gardening, giving it as his opinion, that the weak drawn state of forced aspa.- 

 ragus in London is occasioned by the action of the dung immediately upon 

 its roots ! " (JPref., p. vi.) 



It is obvious to all the world the doctor means you in this para- 

 graph.* He surely cannot mean Glenny ; and really, after all the 



* We thought so too, when we first read the paragraph ; and it is quite 



