IL FAMMER 



BOTA 



GARDEN 



AND 



9 



VOL. I.] 



NEW-YORK, JANUARY, 1828. 



[NO. 1. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The success and utility of this publication will de- 

 pend, principally, on the practical knowledge of its con- 

 tributors. The title denotes the nature of the work ; 

 — embracing all those subjects calculated to promote a 

 taste for rural studies and pursuits — including informa- 

 tion on agriculture and its subsidiary sciences — the 

 most improved methods of gardening and farming — 

 descriptions of the best cultivated farms, and biograph- 

 ical sketches of distinguished agriculturists — and re- 

 views of publications devoted to subjects coming with- 

 in the province of the work. Its prospective charac- 

 ter may be learned from the sources whence are ex- 

 pected its contents. 



We are assured that it shall receive the countenance of 

 *he New-York Horticultural Society, an interesting 

 history of which may be found in this number. This 

 Society consists of most of the practical gardeners in 

 (his city and the vicinity, many of whom are natives of 

 Europe, familiarly and scientifically acquainted with 

 the most improved methods of gardening in Great 

 Britain and France — of a number of the most distin- 

 guished scientific gentlemen in the United States, 

 whose productions and whose correspondents in other 

 countries, are often furnishing the Society with many 

 valuable communications — of the principal officers of 

 ©ur navy, whose frequent visits to other climes afford 

 them opportunities to collect valuable seeds and plants, 

 which they are in the habit of forwarding to the So- 

 ciety. From this source, and by having access to the 

 increasing library of the Institution, our columns can 

 not fail of being supplied with many valuable articles 

 connected with Horticulture. Inaddition to the above, 

 we have the promised assistance of several agricultural 

 writers, whose productions, with what we can transfer 

 from American and foreign publications similar to our 

 own, will afford all that variety of information, 

 which will, we trust, render our paper pleasing and 

 useful to farmers. 



Although such are some of our sources of informa- 

 tion, still would we wish to guard against raising ex- 

 pectations that never will be realized. Let none sup- 

 pose we build our hopes on furnishing the public with 

 learned productions, that have their chief excellence in 

 their elegance of style, or such as can be read only by 

 a few scavans, embodied in all the unintelligibleness of 

 technical science. It is our intention to make the Far- 

 mer a record of interesting and useful facts, adapted to 

 the comprehension of uneducated common sense, di- 

 vested of as many technicalities as convenience will per- 



mit, and decorated with no plumes, but presented in 

 the unstudied attractions of native plainness. 



Our expectations from public patronage are mode- 

 rate. The fields where we expect to gather our fruits, 

 do indeed lie before us in pleasing and delightful pros- 

 pect ; yet there intervene heaths and obstructions of 

 briars and thorns. Among these we shall cheerfully 

 and perseveringly toil, in full anticipation of eventually 

 gaining an easy and free access to the bowers of plenty. 



— »••►►£ © ai t ni. 

 [For the N. Y. Farmer and Horticultural Repository.] 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Sketch of the Rise arid Progress of the New- York Hor- 

 ticultural Society. By a member of the Society. 

 The New-York Horticultural Society, like most 

 other similar institutions, had its commencement 

 among a few enterprizing practical gardeners. A con- 

 siderable number of these had been located for many 

 years in the vicinity of Greenwich village, and occa- 

 sionally had been in the habit of spending a few leisure 

 evening hours in discussing subjects connected with 

 their profession, in which all felt deeply interested, and 

 equally desirous of being mutually benefitted. The ad- 

 vantages arising to the members by such intercourse,, 

 were not limited merely to an increase of practical 

 knowledge, but the nobler feelings of the soul became 

 gradually expanded, and even gardeners thought they 

 perceived their capability of contributing to the public 

 weal. But in order to effect this desirable object, some 

 systematic plan of united exertion seemed necessary. 

 They, accordingly, at a meeting held 30th September, 

 1S18, at the house of Thomas H. Kennedy, in Green- 

 wich-street, formed themselves into an association, un- 

 der the title of the New-York Horticultural Society. 

 As theirobjectbecame known, their numbers increased, 

 not only in practical men, but also those of greater in- 

 fluence and science. On the 2Sth of September, 18 IS, 

 Thomas Storm, Esq. was elected President of the So- 

 ciety. From this day it has been obtaining an hon- 

 orable name, and a high rank in the estimation of the. 

 public ; but owes, in no small degree, its advancement 

 to the fostering care of Mr. Storm, who, to the most; 

 pleasing accomplishments of a gentleman, added all 

 that ardor for horticultural improvement, which render- 

 ed his early patronage to the infant institution of very 

 great importance. During his Presidency, the Society 

 obtained very extensive and useful information respect- 

 ing the actual state of horticulture in this country. — 



