630 THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURlSt. [October i, 1 8911 
those of an indolent turn of mind, are pressed 
onward in the ceaseless hum. Commercial trans- 
actions are entered into and accepted now, thousands 
of miles apart, with as much promptness and celerity 
as they were between districts not tens of miles 
apart, only some few years ago. ^ Opposition in 
trade, rivalry in production, and facility of despatch 
have indeed quiclcened the genvs homo, and wealth 
and affluence have consequently been the outcome. 
The '' good old times" about which we have heard 
BO much have given place to better; luxury and 
social comforts have increased to a degree, and to 
Buch an universality, as furnish the most convincing 
and eloquent proofs of the progressive developments 
of mental endowments. Like Voltaire, we are thank- 
ful that we have the good fortune to live in this age, 
independently of the consideration that it is better to 
be still alive than to have lived. As regards the 
progress of horticulture, there is a marked change, 
and we are in a position to say, that each year will 
see its progress by rapid strides. Horticulture is 
wealth the wide, vrid'e, world over. It is not a treasure 
hid under a bushel, but gives abuudant riches, and 
there is still some more to follow. Wealth has 
grown, so has horticulture. Every cottager has his 
bit of garden wherein he grows his herbs for his 
soups, and his vegetables for the table. It is one 
of the " good things " of this life which a good God 
has given to the use, joy, and benefit of man. The 
proper croping of a garden, with little expense, 
will supply a whole household, of all classes and 
of every grade. Horticulture is enlisting into her 
army hundreds of volunteers every year. Her 
dominions being large, with such a diversity of sub- 
jects, that persons of every grade, white or black, is 
induced to take a greater or a lesser interest, in a 
less or greater number of these subjects. Time is 
even now, when certain classes of the people will not 
part with a few rupees, two or three at most, to buy 
a few vegelable seeds to crop a two-acre plot of good 
land, and command a good selection of choice vege- 
tables, they are afraid they might overrun themselves, 
and incur an expenditure "beyond the annual income 
of their means. A gentleman with an income say 
£1,50 per annum and upwards might have a good 
garden and enjoy the luxuries of plant life. If even 
they take the responsibility of doing the light labour, 
it is wonderful what an amount of gay flowers, and 
tempting fruit, and rich vegetables they could com- 
mand, without incurring an awful large expense, than 
they can well afford. As to the quality of vegetables 
they are no better now than in the time of our fore- 
fathers. Vv'hat we excel in, in o\u: own days, is that 
we draw largely from our own resources, and provide 
a longer season of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. 
The demand for Nature's productions are great, and 
consequently, as in other branches of human industry, 
we have done all that is possible to be equal to the 
occasion. Our gardens and our fields have been en- 
riched by collections of fruits, vegetables, and flo\vers 
from every region of the known earth. Hybridists 
and cross-breeders have been at work to improve the 
form and alter the character of everything likely 
to take the m.arket. If there is an introduction 'of 
anything new, that is likely to weigh well, there 
is 'a rush for that one thing, and the consequence 
has been it has overrun the market, the boards have 
been overstocked, and the whole thing has almost 
been a smash up. If it were desiraljle to prolong 
the season of anything that the garden is capable 
of producing, what puins, what attention, is mani- 
fested, and in course of time, probably after a series 
of reproductions the article is forthcoming. If 
anything new is imported of an rlmost abnormal 
kind, if it were of a little more than ordinary pro- 
minence, which if it is likely to take the market, the 
rapidity with which it is propagated would startle 
and surprise a practitioner living in the first quarter 
of thin present century, it would have caused them 
to scratch their heads with astonisliinent. To be 
b.ackward with anything now in t|io way of horticul- 
ture is a tiling of' the past ; much could bo said as 
regards the tilings of the past, how they were done, 
and how they look now, but I will keep off that 
Hubjccl at present ; at my rate fiullicc it for mc tg> 
say we can laud past operations. Business in horti- 
cultural matters is like business in other matters, it 
gives quite a different tone in these davs. There is no 
apathy, no rest during business houi-s, no hoping, 
no dreaming, no sleeping ; but all is enthusiasm, in- 
genuity, and push, as greatly different in character as 
the railway is to the uncomfortable, clattering, noisy 
old stage coach. Horticulturists of the right nature 
are animated by the same feelings, and are carried 
along in the onward march of progress. As 
Shakespeare says " all the world 's a stage," 
and each man in his turn plays some ■parti- 
cular part," and the horticulturist performs his own 
part well. First of all let us see what has been done 
and is being done in landscape gardening — we might 
ask where does it begin ? and where does it end ? All 
depends upon the scenery at disposal— the site— the 
climate— and the character of the mansion. With the 
material placed at our commands within the last 
quarter of a century, it would be a pity indeed if we 
could not leave some very distinct examples of high 
taste, as an heirloom to posterity. We have a grand 
and wonderful variety of form and colour in our 
nurseries to assist us in laying out and clothing our 
landscapes with all that is beautiful and interesting in 
tree life. This leaf-growing country which is rightly 
named, which is fanned by gentle and " spicy breezes " 
which breathe out spicy odours, and embalm the air 
with delightful perfumes, how the estates of this colony 
could be made effective and interesting, as well as 
producing good returns. What is more advantageous 
to the tea and coffee shrubs than good wind-belts, 
as a screen against rough and disastrous winds? Trees 
of a coniferous nature will produce a good effect 
wherever placed. Our forefathers had a limited 
catalogue to select from, but now there is no end to 
the species presented to us. They are almost com- 
pelled to hold hard and fast by a natural size, for the 
numbers of formal evergreen tree and bush life \a ere 
very limited. We are compelled now, out of the 
collections of trees and shrubs found in our- nurseries, 
to put on as fascinating appearance in our parks, 
pleasure grounds, and public gardens, particularly 
about the foreground where the highest art is centred, 
so as to reach a liigh degree. We can well imagine 
Knight, Price, and Oilpin, and others of the same 
school, crying aloud for the picturesque and the 
things natural in themselves. If they had lived in 
oui' own times, it is highly probable that the quantity 
of materials presented for landscape work of all kinds, 
and the variety of form and feature which these 
materials assume, would have brought a consider- 
able chaiUge in their views. Their great aim was to 
create a landscape about which a painter vyould get 
into an ecstacy. 
In the first place, what is most beautiful in nature 
is not always capable of being most represented, most 
advantageously by paintinp;' ; the instance of an exten- 
sive prospect, the most effecting sight the eye can 
bring before us, is quite conclusive. I do not know 
anything that does, and naturally should, so strongly 
effect the mind as the sudden transition, from such a 
portion of space as commonly have in our minds, to 
such a view as the habitable globe as may be exhibited 
in the case of some extensive prospects. But in the ext- 
place, the beauties of nature itself, and which pannt 
ing can exhibit, are many, f nd most of them prob- 
ably of a sort which have nothing to do with the 
purposes of habitation, and are even wholly incon- 
sistent with them. A scene of a cavern with banditti 
sitting by it, is the favourite subject of Salvator 
Rosa ; but are we therefore to live in oaves, or en- 
courage the neighbourhood of banditti ? — Gains- 
borough's country girl is a more picturesque object 
than a child neatly dressed in a white frock ; but is 
that a reason why our children are to go in rags ? 
Tills is just the proposition which some maintain in 
the contrast which they exhibit of tire same place, 
dressed in the modern style, and left as he thinks it 
ought to be. We are not living in caves, and rocks, and 
dens of the earth ; but in God's beautiful universe. 
To me there is nothing more appalling than the walls, 
fountain basins, clipped trees, and long canals as in 
Versailles, not only because they utterly fail to 
satisfy in themselves, but inasmuch as they are evei' 
