748 
REVIEW. 
portance of these laws is so great, tjiat there is not a single practice 
of the gardener, farmer, or the forester; the reason of which, if it 
relates to the Vegetable Kingdom, can he understood without a 
knowledge of them.” 
All Works previously written to assist the enquiring mind of the 
Horticulturalist, were in such voluminous shapes, that no small por¬ 
tion of patience and attention was required to come to any rational 
conclusion, and many speculative theories were blended with dis¬ 
covered facts, that a good previous knowledge of the subject was in¬ 
dispensable, to be able to discriminate betwixt right and wrong. 
Mr. Lindley has completely obviated all these difficulties, by issuing 
so competent a work on the subject, we think we may call it a per¬ 
fect one, for we know not what more could have been added to ren¬ 
der it more complete ; it may be said to be a key, to unlock the 
whole science of gardening, and the whole is so condensed, that 
every gardener may carry the book (as he would the key of his 
hot-houses) in his pocket. We certainly should reeommend every 
gardener, both young and old, as well as every lover of gardens to 
purchase it, as they cannot fail, from the plain and explicit manner 
in which it is written, to derive immense benefit by its perusal, for 
“ there can be but little mental interest in watching the success of 
operations, of which the reasons are unknown, compared with that 
which must be felt when all the phsenomena attendant upon practice 
can be foreseen, their results anticipated, or the causes of failure ex¬ 
actly appreciated.” 
“ It must also be manifest, that however skilful any person may 
become by mere force of habit, and by following certain prescribed 
rules, which experience has, or seems to have sanctioned; yet that 
much more success might be expected, if he acted upon certain fixed 
principles, the truth of which has been well ascertained, instead of 
following empyrical prescriptions, the reason of which he cannot un¬ 
derstand.” 
“ It is not, however, to be understood from this last observation, 
that rules of cultivation are to be neglected, because they cannot be 
physiologically explained. On the contrary, the mere fact of a giv¬ 
en mode of culture, having been followed for a length of time, by 
persons deeply interesied in the suceess of their operations, and of 
much experience, ought to give it very great authority ; for it is well 
known, that there are many important facts, the reason of which is 
either extremely obscure, or altogether unintelligible. This may be 
owing either to the defective state of our knowledge, of the exact na¬ 
ture of many of the phenomena of life, or to the great difficulty of" 
