2 22 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 



1829. ' A History of English Gardening — Chronological, 

 Biographical, Literary, and Critical — Tracing the Progress 

 of the Art in this Country from the Invasion of the 

 Eomans to the Present Time,' by George W. Johnson. 

 This little book is so comprehensive in subject that it 

 is rather dry reading, though Mr. Johnson's introductory 

 chapter abounds in interesting information about the 

 gardens and vegetable cultivation of the ancients. Cato's 

 description of the cultivation of Asparagus is very much 

 the same as what is now recommended. Gardening, at 

 no time in the world's history, seems in any way to have 

 been the especial property of the good and simple, in 

 whose hands alone ' it is the purest of human pleasures.' 

 To sit about gardens in summer sunshine, to listen to the 

 birds, and to enjoy the scent of the flowers cultivated by 

 others may be very enjoyable, but in no sense does it 

 deserve to be called ' the purest of human pleasures.' No 

 one who does not actually work in his own garden can 

 ever really realise the pleasure of having one, and the 

 enjoyment of a garden entirely worked by others is merely 

 a form of idleness and luxury. The title does not 

 accurately describe the book, as the gardens of the 

 ancients are confined to the introduction, and the history 

 of English gardening begins only from the accession of 

 Edward III. The main part of it is a detailed account 

 of all the books that have been written on the art of 

 gardening. Mr. Johnson most critically describes the 

 letterpress of gardening books, but very little notice 

 indeed is taken of any illustrating, and wiien he reaches 

 Curtis's beautiful ' Flora Londinensis ' he gives it no more 

 praise than to any little short gardening essay that 

 may have appeared at the time. Anyone going to the 

 Museum Library with this comprehensive catalogue 

 would have but a slight idea of what are the best books 

 t;o ask for. Till the appearance of Miss Amherst's 



