Korember 1,1894 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
397 
* 
PROGRESS OF GARDENING. 
W E have lately heard a great deal about the progress made in this 
science, or in that art, or the great improvements that have 
taken place in this or that trade during the present century ; but 
we rarely hear of anything that is new or startling in gardening. 
Probably there are many arts which have shown greater and more 
marked progress during the last hundred years, but there are few 
in which the advancement has been so steady, sound, and sure as 
that of horticulture. The art of gardening has become better 
understood, the appliances appertaining to it more perfected, its 
exponents more highly educated, and it has developed a literature 
which so far has been unsurpassed by the literature of any other 
art. 
Although much of the philosophy of gardening is still contained 
in Shakespeare’s lines—“ Root away the noisome weeds, that with¬ 
out profit suck the soil’s fertility from wholesome flowers. . . . 
Superfluous branches we lop away that bearing boughs may live,” 
yet the means and methods adopted for performing many of the 
simplest gardening operations have been greatly improved. Science 
has been utilised by the gardener to assist him in making the most 
of the soil in the cultivation of the flowers, fruiis, and vegetables 
under his charge, and some erroneous notions have been swept 
away by the aid of it. The resting of the land is never spoken of 
now as a means of enriching it ; but animal or chemical manures 
are applied to impoverished ground instead. Fruit trees, instead 
of being cut in like pollards, are pruned rationally. Prowling cats 
and stray dogs are never shot now for the purpose oE feeding Vine 
roots, nor the assistance of the astrologer called in as an aid to 
gardening. Many of the plants at one time thought difficult to 
grow are now cultivated with ease, and garden operations are under¬ 
taken without the slightest hesitation, which some years ago would 
hardly have been thought of. 
With reference to gardening patronage, a great change has 
taken place within the last thirty years. At one time it was the 
aristocratic portion of the community in this country who did so 
much for the art of gardening, and were in reality the supporters 
of what I may term high-class gardening. One of the most 
important parts of a gentleman’s establishment was his extensive 
gardens, conservatories, and pleasure grounds. Now, unfortunately, 
they are not so able to keep up those large establishments as 
formerly, and retrenchment invariably begins with the garden. 
On the other hand, the middle and working classes have taken a 
greater interest in its advancement, and have, no doubt, rendered 
great assistance in keeping it up to its present standard of efficiency 
in this country. Although there are no garden establishments, 
such as the Queen’s at Frogmore, the Buccleuch’s, Rothschild’s, 
Devonshire’s and Portland’s being formed now, or likely to be in 
the future, yet the area of ground occupied by gardens is very 
greatly in excess of what it was forty or fifty years ago. This I 
mention to show that the patrons of gardening are no longer con¬ 
fined to the aristocracy, but belong to all the walks of life, from 
the nobleman with his park and ancestral hall down to the artisan 
who grows his vegetables and tends his flower plot after his labour 
of the day is finished. The choicest exotics are no longer the 
exclusive property of Royalty, but may be found in the possession 
of the merchant and tradesman. The luscious fruits of the Grape, 
Peach, and Melon as often enrich the table of these classes as 
No. 749.— VoL. XXIX., Third Series. 
that of the nobleman, and the plant and vase of cut flowers are 
as much in use for the dinner table as almost the tablecloth itself. 
One of the phases of progress made in gardening is exemplified 
by the improved quality of garden produce in every department 
during the present century. Perhaps the only exception to this is 
the Potato, which, though improved as regards size, is inferior, in 
point of flavour, to some of the Potatoes that were in existence 
before the days of the Potato disease. It is, however, to be hoped 
that a variety will yet be raised which may possess the prized 
flavour of the old Dons, and, at the same time, be disease-proof. 
The quality or most other vegetables has not only been greatly 
improved, but their season has been so extended that it is possible 
to have some kind almost the whole year round—I refer to the 
Cauliflower, and its hardier variety Broccoli. 
Many of the best varieties of our hardy fruits have been raised 
during this century, and the culture of the Apple and Pear has 
received a great impetus in this country during the last few years ; 
but we are still, I think, a good deal behind in this matter, and it 
is to be hoped that progress in the right direction will soon be such 
that no foreigner will be able to compete with our home-grown 
fruits in our markets. All kinds of flowers have been greatly 
improved by selection and hybridism. The Orchid has been trans¬ 
formed to such an extent that it is found difficult to apply correct 
names to the hybrids. The Rhododendron has been manipulated, 
so to speak, until something like a new genus has been created. 
The Dahlia, Chrysanthemum, Carnation, Rose, Gloxinia, Begonia 
and Hippeastrum, have been hybridised to such an extent that any 
material improvement in these seems beyond expectation. The 
Narcissus, Streptocarpus, Gladiolus, Canna, and various genera of 
Orchids are still passing through the hands of the hybridist, and 
the results yet to be obtained cannot be guessed. The Fern, even, 
is no longer safe, although it is only a few years since its repro¬ 
ductive organs were understood. It is, like the other plants 
mentioned, being subjected to the whims of the hybridist, and 
some remarkable and interesting developments have been obtained 
by Mr. Lowe, Shirenewton Hall, near Chepstow, and others who 
make the Fern a speciality. 
In this portion of the art the gardener has been of great 
assistance to the scientist, thus giving a quid pro quo. The 
hybridist has proved that there are many hybrids of Nature’s own 
making. This he found by crossing two distinct species, which 
produced a hybrid hitherto regarded as a distinct species. No 
doubt as greater progress is made in the art of hybridising many 
more so-called species will be found to be natural hybrids. 
The introduction of hardy trees, especially Conifers, during the 
last sixty years has had a remarkable influence on the landscape 
side of gardening, and has as much as anything else done away with 
that most horrible of all arts—the topiary art. The variety of trees 
to choose from for planting in pleasure grounds is infinitely greater 
than at the beginning of the present century. A good illustration 
of this fact can be seen in such places as the Derby Arboretum, 
laid out and planted by Loudon, with all the hardy trees obtain¬ 
able at that time. The absence of Conifers is very marked, and 
indicates one of the advantages we have now over those laying out 
gardens at that time. The formal garden, no doubt essential in 
many instances, is fast giving place to a more natural style, and 
altogether the foibles of former times must always be with us in 
some form or other. I think even in landscape gardening there has 
been a decided advance in the right direction during these latter 
years. 
The nursery trade has materially added to the progress of 
gardening, for it has fortunately been carried on by a class of men 
noted for their business acumen, enterprise, and integrity, and we 
have just cause to be proud of them, seeing that they stand almost 
unrivalled in the points indicated. A story illuitrating the great 
enterprise of oar nurserymen is told of one of the Messrs. V^eitch, 
who, when inspecting Miss North’s picture gallery at Kew, saw a 
No. 2405.—VOL. XCI,, Old Series. 
