April 7, 1387. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
271 
In 1654 was published anonymously “ The Countryman’s Recreation, 
or The Art of Planting, Grafting, and Gardening.” This book, which 
has a copious table of contents, touches on almost every point of 
practical gardening, but while containing some good things abounds in 
vulgar errors. Three years later appeared “ A Treatise of Fruit Trees,” 
by Ralph Austen. This is a good book, and contains much sound advice 
on the subject of which it treats. The author exposes the superstitions 
and errors of the earlier writers on gardening. His “ Observations on 
some parts of Sir Francis Bacon’s Natural History as it concerns Fruit 
Trees, Fruit, and Flowers,” is still well worth reading. Walter Blith's 
“ English Improver Improved,” my edition of which is dated 1652, is a 
book much in advance of the times, and although principally agricultural 
it treats of woodlands, orchards, and garden fruits. I have a curious 
little book styled “ Adam out of Eden,” by Adam Speed, Gent. (1659). 
In it he tells us that there are about London that do make £200 an acre 
by gardening, but as he also tells us to graft Apples, Roses, and Vines on 
Cherry stocks, he cannot be considered a reliable authority. Samuel 
Hartlib’s “ Legacy of Husbandry” (1655) is a genuine book, although 
not an original one. He says, “ Gardening is but of a few years’ standing 
in England, and therefore not well understood and again that a Surrey 
landlord feared the gardeners would spoil his ground by digging. About 
this period'Dr. John Peale wrote several treatises on orchards and fruit 
trees of considerable merit. “ The Gardens of Cyrus,” by Sir Thomas 
Browne, attracted some attention at this time. But John Evelyn, by 
the translation of “The French Gardener” and “The Complete Gar¬ 
dener,” and the publication of the “ Sylva,” Terra, and Pomona, and the 
“ Kalcndarium Ilortense ” gave a great stimulus to gardening. These 
works, as may be supposed, were elegantly written, and written by one 
who understood the subject and took a deep interest in it. Robert 
Sharrock, Fellow of New College, Oxford, was the author of two books 
on gardening, one “ An Improvement to the Art of Gardening,” pub¬ 
lished in 1694, the other “ The History of the Propagation and Improve¬ 
ment of Vegetables,” in 1660. These are good books, and would doubt¬ 
less be very welcome to many in those days. 
The “ Flora Ceres and Pomona ” of John Rea was published in 1665. 
It is a folio volume illustrated with numerous formal plans for flower 
gardens, and copious lists of flowers, fruits, and trees. John Worledge 
wrote several works on rural affairs. “ Systema Agriculture,” 1669, and 
“ Systema Horticulture,” 1677, both treat of gardening and are not 
without merit. Drope published a small book on fruit trees in 1672. It 
is full of sound instruction, which appears to have been gathei*:d from 
experience. “ The Planters’ Manual,” by Charles Cotton (1675) is a 
work on fruit trees only, and gives lists of the best sorts of fruits and 
Pears for every month in the year. Moses Cooke wrote a book on 
“ Forest and Fruit Trees” (1679), which was an authority in its day and 
passed through several editions. Another work on fruit trees by T. 
Langford (1681) was considered in its day a book of considerable merit, 
and contains at the end a few pages of greens and greenhouses, with a 
catalogue of choice fruits and evergreens to be had at Broughton Park. 
Other writers of this time are Leonard Meager, Samuel Gilbert, and 
John Reid. Gilbert, in his “ Florists’ Vade Mecum,” gives a list of no 
fewer than thirty sorts of Roses which were cultivated in gardens at 
that time (1683). 
Sir William Temple wrote an essay on “ The Garden of Epicurus, or 
of Gardening in the Year 1685.” It favours the Dutch style of gardening, 
and is written with his customary case and elegance. London and 
Win published two translations from French authors between 1699 and 
1706, with alterations and additions, which made them standard works 
in their day. William Fleetwood, Bishop of Ely, the greatest preacher 
of his time, brought out in 1707 “ Curiosities of Nature and Art in Hus¬ 
bandry and Gardening." It is very well written, but much behind the 
age, and the writer evidently knew nothing of practical gardening. 
Other authors of this period are John Mortimer and William Salmon, 
while translations of Van Oosten’s “Dutch Gardener” and “The 
Theory and Practice of Gardening ” by Le Blond were offered to the 
public. 
The love of gardening displayed by James I., Charles I., Charles II., 
Queen Mary, and Queen Anne, and the means they employed to promote 
it, had doubtless a great influence on its literature, and we now find 
literary men helping it forward by occasional efforts. Cowley’s letter, 
“ The Garden,” addressed to Evelyn, may be given as an example. In 
the early part of the eighteenth century John Laurence wrote a series 
of works on gardening, chiefly derived from his own experience, and 
which were much in advance of previous writings on the subject. Switzer 
is a great name in the garden literature of this age, and if we had the 
time we might say a great deal in praise of his industry and intelligence 
a* an author. He wrote “ Icnographia Rustica” (1718), “ The Practical 
Fruit Gardener” (1724), “The Practical Kitchen Gardener” (1727), 
all comprehensive in nature and sound in teaching, and numerous other 
works. Richard Bradley was also a voluminous and distinguished writer 
on gardening at this date. His “ New Improvements on Planting and 
Gardening” and “Treatise of Husbandry and Gardening” are two 
valuable works, although not distinguished by originality. Passing over 
many writers of this period whose works were useful, but not remarkable, 
we come to Philip Miller, the “ hortulanorum princeps ” of the eighteenth 
century. His “ Gardeners’ and Florists’ Dictionary ” was published in 
1724, in which work he was assisted by other gardeners of the period. 
Successive editions of this work appeared, the ninth edition in 1792, 
edited by Professor Martyn of Cambridge. This long remained a 
standard work on gardeningand botany, and translations were published 
in the French, Dutch^ and German languages. He published also the 
“Gardeners’ Kalendar” (1731), which passed -through many editions, 
and some papers on gardening which appeared in the “ Philosophical 
Transactions.” Batty Langley wrote “ New Principles in Gardening ” 
in 1728, and “Pomona,” with numerous coloured plates, in 1729. The 
“Scots’ Gardeners’ Director,” by James Justin, was a book of some- 
repute in its time. Sir John Hill was a voluminous writer on gardening 
and botany. His “Eden” folio, numerous coloured plates (1757) is 
still an interesting book, and his “Vegetable System” (1759), twenty- 
four volumes folio, full of plates, is a magnificent book, but of little 
practical or scientific value. Thomas Hill wrote a sensible book on 
“Fruit Trees” in 1757. Sir William Chambers wrote “Dissertations 
on Oriental Gardening” (1744). Johnson in his “ History of Gardening ” 
says it is “ puerile in the extreme,” but with all deference to this great 
and good man, I must confess to have read it with pleasure, and I think 
with profit. In 1769 the Rev. William Hanbury wrote “ A Complete 
Body of Planting and Gardening,” two volumes folio, and which was 
published in numbers. Numerous works appeared about this time which 
it would serve little purpose to enumerate. The early writers on English 
gardening were mostly scholars who had little knowledge of the subject; 
the manner was consequently superior to the matter. Later on, when 
practical men began to write, the matter was superior to the manner. 
But as education became more widely diffused the union of the two 
gave us a more satisfactory garden literature. 
The “ Unconnected Thoughts on Landscape Gardening,” by Shenstone 
the poet, published in 1764, deserve more than a passing word. They 
were apparently jotted down at intervals while he was carrying out 
improvements at his beautiful ferine orr.ee, “ The Leasomcs,” and might 
be read with advantage by some of our modern improvers. Having 
thus been brought by the sequence of time into the arena of landscape 
gardening, we propose to diverge here to follow briefly but separately 
the literature of that branch of the art, although we have no intention 
qf taking part in the combat. The earliest gardens were simply spaces of 
land enclosed with fences or hedges as a protection against cattle. 
Then followed formal plans to please the fancy/ and for convenience of 
access to the different objects which the garden contained. Gradually 
following upon this rose up artistic or landscape,gardening. Men wrote 
little on the subject, and the earliest literature of any importance on 
this branch of the art seems to have been Lord Bacon’s “ Essay on 
Gardens.” Later on came the essays of Sir Wm. Temple, AddPon, Rope, 
Lord Karnes, G. Mason, and Walpole. Switzer also wrote on the subject 
about this time from the more practical point of view, while Bridgeman, 
Kent, and Brown were workers rather than writers. Whateley, W. 
Mason, and Repton were also distinguished writers on this branch of the 
art at a still later date, and their works even now take high rank with 
those of Marshall, Gilpin, Knight, and Price. A fierce controversy 
raged between some of these writers. Knight and Price on the one side, 
Repton and Marshall on the other, were in the van of the contending 
schools ; both wrote well, but neither seemed to succeed in making the 
other understand him, and it seems hardly desirable here to open up the 
controversy. The chief writings on the subject may be occasionally 
met with on old bookstalls, and purchased for a few shillings, if anyone 
should wish to indulge in the luxury of an intellectual puzzle. From 
this time, however, it may be said that gardening took the position of an 
art, although many years rolled by before it was'elevated to the rank of 
a science. 
To return. John Abercrombie (1744-91) wrote from experience, and 
his works, which are numerous, had a great circulation and considerable 
influence on the gardening of his age. It is related of this author that 
he was invited to write his first book on gardening—“ Every Man his 
own Gardener ”—by a London bookseller, and after much hesitation 
consented to do so, on condition that Dr. Goldsmith undertook the revi¬ 
sion of it as to style before publication. Goldsmith consented, but 
returned the MS. to the publisher, saying the author’s style was best- 
suited to the subjects of which he treated. The number of books on 
gardening continued to increase, many of them published without the 
author's name. Garton, Weston, Colin Milne, Meader, Boutcher, 
William Mason, G. Lindley, Bryant, Felton, and Kennedy are names 
worthy of being preserved. William Speechley wrote “ A Treatise on 
the Culture of the Vine, &c.,” (1790) ; “ Treatise on the Pear, Apple, 
&c.” (1796), which in their day were standard works. Dr. Erasmus 
Darwin is entitled to recognition here as the author of “ The Botanic 
Garden, or Loves of the Plants,” (1781-89), a very flowery poem, and 
of “ Phytologia, or the Philosophy of Agriculture and Gardening" 
(1800).* 
In 1787 William Curtis commenced “The Botanical Magazine,” 
which has been published without interruption to the present day. 
This work, which is beautifully illustrated, was for some years edited 
by Curtis and Sim, then by Sir Wm. Hooker, and is now edited by 
Sir Joseph Hooker, and although botanical rather than horticultural 
can hardly be omitted from the literature of gardening. A copy of 
this work sold three years ago for £92, and a copy this year for £118. 
William Marshall, who took part in the Knight-Repton controversy on 
landscape gardening, wrote a good book on “ Planting and Rural Orna¬ 
ment” (1796). Forsyth, Maddock, and McPhail arc also other writers 
of this period. 
(To be continued.) 
PLANTING BOX EDGING. 
WheS reading the article on Box edging by Mr. Molyneux, page 223, 
it occurred to me that he had made an omission of some importance 
