V 
THE GARDENERS’ SOCIETY. 679 
escaped tlie penetration of the more learned but less practical inves¬ 
tigator. Thus from men being led to study first principles, a new 
era has been produced in the annals of the arts and sciences, and to 
the same source, we must trace the present advanced, but (in com¬ 
parison with many other arts) still very imperfect state of gardening. 
This imperfect state must be apparent to every one, who reflects 
upon the diversity of opinions which prevail on almost every subject 
connected with it, and the reason of this requires but little discrimi¬ 
nation to perceive. In many of the other arts, we see the workmen 
adding their own ingenuity, and acquaintance with the principles of 
their profession, to the researches of the philosopher; but in garden¬ 
ing we observe the generality of young men, contenting themselves 
with the ability of using the various tools which are put into their 
hands, and acquiring a few practical rules from the pages of Aber- 
combie; whilst the study of those first principles upon which the 
success or failure of all their operations depend, are left for the con¬ 
sideration of the philosophic Amateur. Not only is there a careless¬ 
ness and inattention upon this subject, amongst the great body of 
gardeners, but in many cases prejudice and opposition. I recollect 
when living at a place in Scotland, where six young men lodged toge¬ 
ther, one of the number who had heard some lectures on chemistry 
and other sciences, commenced making some experiments, for the 
purpose of improving himself, and giving us a taste for scientific 
pursuits ; but instead of hailing this as a favourable opportunity for 
advancement in knowledge, we considered that such pursuits, were 
not necessary to the practical gardener, that it was impossible for a 
young man to make that attainment in them, which could enable 
him to understand the principles of his profession, and some turned 
the idea altogether into ridicule, and considered such pursuits to be 
more productive of evil than good. From the number of young 
men with whom I have been acquainted, I can safely say, that this 
is far from being a solitary case; for however, the knowledge of gar¬ 
deners has lately been so much spoken about, the truth of the matter 
is, that they who are paying attention to scientific pursuits, and the 
first principles of their profession, form exception from the general 
body, and consequently cannot be brought forward as instances upon 
which to found a general inference. 
Now since one of the principal objects you profess to have in view, 
is to advance the art of gardening by imparting knowledge to the 
practicers of it, it becomes of great importance that errors and mis¬ 
conceptions be removed, that men be convinced that their mental fa¬ 
culties are unlimited, and not merely able to comprehend this thing, 
