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PKOFESSIONAL AND MORAL TRAINING. 
PKOFESSIONAI. AND MORAL TRAINING. 
HINTS ADBEESSED TO YOUNG GAEDENEES. 
By Mk. W. p. KEAjSfE, Author of "The Beauties of Surrey," &c. 
NOW intend to give you a summary of the advantages a gardener derives from a knowledge of 
geography and dra-wing. Plants are found in all countries, and as collectors are now more than 
ever employed, both by Horticultm-al Societies and by gentlemen who arc anxioua to enrich their native 
country with the beauties of the vegetable creation, it is incumbent upon us to keep pace with the daily 
increasing desire to improve the cultivation of plants ; and for that pirrpose it is necessary for us to lui- 
derstand sometliing of the locality in which each plant is found. 
By geography we may know the general climate of the country ; how it is influenced by regular or 
variable winds, by heats or colds of various degrees. We must expect the more particular account to 
be given by the collectors who see each specimen growing in its native locality, influenced by its situ- 
ation on lulls, in valleys or plains, or in the neighboui-hood of rivers or of mountains, and in marshy or 
upland soil. Many peculiarities of that nature, the locality of every plant will afford to the inquisi- 
tive eye of the collector, who should be capable of investigating the influences by which each species is 
surrounded. But in the absence of this particular information, which it is so necessaiy for us to re- 
ceive, we must be guided in our cultivation by the general description of the country that we may 
obtain by geography. There are many travellers in distant lands, who fi-equently supply their friends 
at home with the curious plants that they find worthy of notice. By such persons no particular infoi'- 
mation is given as a clue to their successful cultivation, and we arc left to be guided by om- own know- 
ledge of the country, how to manage them ; and in accordance with our knowledge or ignorance of the 
geography of that country will generally be our good or ill success in their management. 
There is a general knowledge of the climate and soil of every country to be obtained by a knowledge 
of geography. It also affords us pleasure and profit to know something of the countries whence 
our most delicious fruits have been introduced into this favoured land. The more you cultivate ac- 
quaintance with horticulture, the more you will see the many advantages to be obtained from a know- 
ledge of the geographical distribution of plants. Then, everything tending to explain the phenomena 
of each locality, will be received as a hint useful for the better cultivation of any fruit tree or plant in- 
troduced from that part. It would be ad\'isable for you to devote some time to the study of geograjjhy, 
and at all favourable opportunities to converse with persons who could give you some information on 
the subject. From men who have travelled through difierent and distant lands, a great deal of useful 
information is to be derived ; they are generally pleased in giving a description of theii- travels, and 
by asking questions tending to draw out an explanation of the nature of the soil, climate, &c., some 
instriictions may be received. The more yoa really know of any coiuitry the less liable you are to be 
imposed upon by what are called " travellers' tales." 
I must advise you that it is the best plan to study one particular subject for some time, until 
you attain a general knowledge of it, when another branch of study may be added as a relaxation from 
more laborious mental employment. Variety is pleasing in natural and artificial landscape scenery, 
and is equally pleasing to the mind when the study of one subject is blended with another, so that the 
transition is easy to form the whole routine of improvement. 
Drawing may be considered as an amusement, it may be cultivated at all favourable opportunities, 
and will contribute much to the advancement of a gardener in his profession. In all the departments 
of knowledge success will invariably attend a persevering industry, on which a man will fix the whole 
strength of his understanding. The rudiments of drawing you will find explained in a small but ex- 
cellent treatise on drawing, written bj' John Clark, and published by Messrs. Chambers. It will give 
you instructions how to proceed with method ; the rules laid down will explain the plan on which you 
are to proceed. Follow them closely and attentively, and everything will appear plain and simple ; 
but without a method to guide you, you cannot work advantageously either in the garden or on 
paper. 
In the course of your practice you will very likely be required to give plans for horticultural build- 
ings that it may be intended to erect under yom' instructions. A knowledge of the principles of that 
art is necessary to derive improvement from the many structures so usefully and economically em- 
ployed in various gardens in this country. In laying out flower-gardens or jjleasm'C-grounds, I have 
first di'awn the plans as correctly as I could on pajier, then I have covered a large door, or any other 
large board fit for the purpose, with any stiff soil worked into the consistence of paste, like the earth ^^ 
used for grafting trees. The soil is spread over carefully, and all the parts of the plan ai'e copied from & 
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