Book I. 



GARDENING IN GERMANY. 



51 



232. There are very few good gardens in Huvgary; that of Prince Esterhazy, the greatest 

 proprietor of that country, is extensive, abounds in hot-houses, and contains a very full 

 collection of plants. The prince has an English gardener, whom he sends frequently to 

 this country to collect whatever is new. 



233. The German princes and rulers are in general attached to gardens, and have very 

 considerable ones at their principal residences ; some of these have been mentioned, and 

 various others might be added. These gardens are under the direction of intelligent men, 

 who, in general, have spent part of their time in botanic gardens ; and, in many cases, 

 have studied or practised in Holland, or in the Paris gardens. 



234. There are market-gardens near most large towns, but nurseries are mucli less com- 

 mon. There are extensive gardens of both sorts at Hamburg ; but the best fruit-tree 

 nurseries are supposed to be those of Sickler and Diel already mentioned. There is a 

 good nursery at Wurtzburg, in Franconia, established by Meyer ; one at Frankfort on the 

 Oder, and three at Vienna. In most places, the principal market-gardeners propagate a 

 few fruit-trees for sale. 



235. The operative part of gardening, in the better classes of gardens, is performed by 

 men, who have, agreeably to the general custom in Germany, not only served an appren- 

 ticeship, but travelled and worked for a certain time in different parts of the country, or 

 of other countries. 



T?ie term of apprenticeship is tliree years and a half, and for travel three years, unless the apprentice is 

 <he son of a master-gardener ; in which case, the term for travel is reduced to one year. All apprentices 

 must be able at least to read and write, and are taught to draw, and furnished with written secrets in 

 gardening by their master, during the term of apprenticeship. "When that is completed, the youth is initi- 

 ated into what may be called the free-masonry of gardening, and, being furnished with a pass- word, he pro- 

 ceeds from one town to another, till he can get work. Till this happens, his pass-word, and also a passport from 

 tlie gardeners' society of the place where he was initiated, procures for him, at every Gartner herberge, or 

 gardeners' lodging-house, lodging and food, and as much money as will supply his wants till he arrives at 

 the next inn of a similar description. In this way he may walk over the whole of the German empire, 

 Denmark, and a part of Holland, at the general expense ; the numerous ramifications of the society ex- 

 tending over the whole of this immense tract. Such institutions exist for every trade in Germany, but being 

 disliked by the governments, and being politically considered of an arbitrary and injurious nature, are now 

 on the decline. On his return from probation, the travelled journeyman is entitled to take a master's 

 place ; and very commonly he continues travelling till he hears of one. The regular German gardener is 

 a careful, neat-handed, and skilful workman ; and, if allowed sufficient time, or assistance, will keep a 

 garden in good order, and produce all the crops required of him in their proper seasons. 



236. The artists or architects of gardens, in Germany, are generally the Land baumeister, 

 or those architects who have directed their attention chiefly to country-buildings. Where 

 only a kitchen or flower-garden is to be formed, an approved practical gardener is com- 

 monly reckoned sufficient. It occasionally happens, that a nobleman, who wishes to lay 

 out an extensive garden, after fixing on what he considers a good gardener of some edu- 

 cation, and capable of taking plans, sends him for a year or two to visit the best gardens 

 of England, Holland, or France. On his return, he is deemed qualified to lay out the 

 garden required ; which he does, and afterwards attends to its culture, and acts as a 

 garden-architect ( Garten baumeister) to the minor gentry of his neighbourhood. 



SuBSECT. 6. German Gardening, as a Science, and as to the Authors it has produced, 



237. The Germans are a scientific people : they are a reading people, and in conse- 

 quence the science of every art, in so far as developed in books, is more generally known 

 there than in any other country. Some may wish to except Scotland ; but, though the 

 Scotch artisan reads a great deal, his local situation and limited intercourse with other 

 nations, subject him to the influence of the particular opinions in which he has been edu- 

 cated : he takes up prejudices at an early period, and with difficulty admits new ideas 

 from books. On the other hand, the Germans of every rank are remarkable for liberality 

 of opinion : all of them travel ; and, in the course of seeing other states, they find a 

 variety of practices and opinions, different from those to which they have been accustomed ; 

 prejudice gives way ; the man is neutralised ; becomes moderate in estimating what 

 belongs to himself, and willing to hear and to learn from others. 



238. There are horticultural societies and jyrofessorships of rural economy in many of the 

 universities ; one or two gardeners' magazines, and almanacks of gardening ; and some 

 <iminent vegetable physiologists are Germans. Even in Hungary, it appears (Bright's 

 Travels), a Georgicon, or college of rural economy, has been established by Graff* Festetits 

 at Keszthely, in which gardening, including the culture and management of woods and 

 copses, forms a distinct professorship. The science of France may be, and we believe is, 

 greater than that of Germany in this art, but it is accumulated in the capital ; whereas, 

 here it emanates from a great number of points distributed over the country, and is conse- 

 quently rendered more available by practical men. The minds of the gardeners of France 

 are, from general ignorance, less fitted to receive instruction than those of Germany ; 

 their personal habits admit of less time for reading ; their climate and soil require less 

 artificial agency. The German gardener is generally a thinking, steady person ; the 

 climate, in most places, requires his vigilant attention to culture, and his travels have en- 



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