October 3. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
An opinion is entertained in more quarters than one that 
the Crystal Palace, though singular in some respects, though 
beautiful and instructive in others, does not, upon the whole, 
come up to what the public were led to expect, and that, after 
all, it is but an extraordinary-ordinary affair, as Canning once 
pithily remarked of Alderman Wood. Those who entertain 
this opinion may, it is presumed, be fairly divided into two 
classes—the class that will not, and the class that really can¬ 
not, see the beauty of an object when placed before them. 
To the first class we simply and respectfully suggest that 
! they allow their pride or their prejudice, or both combined— 
for these are generally twin-born, and derive their existence 
I from one common source—to blind their eyes and to warp 
their judgment. Having once proclaimed an opinion that the 
undertaking is a failure, they are unwilling to confess the 
error in judgment of which they have been guilty. The old 
proverb hits their condition exactly—“ There are none so 
blind as those who won’t see.” To be cousistent, this class 
of objectors ought not to open their eyes in broad day. 
They had better close them at once, and retire to the dark 
places of this world, until their pride and prejudice have 
evaporated, rather than decry what they are unwilling to 
look at, except through the medium of a distempered and 
distorted vision. Were we to reason thus with the “ won’t 
see ” class of objectors to the Crystal Palace, their incon¬ 
sistency would be more apparent than it really is at 
I present. 
To those who really cannot see the beauties of the great 
Art-temple at Sydenham, we shall write in a different tone. 
They do not wilfully close their eyes to the light, or they 
would deserve to be as Milton dejectedly, yet divinely, ex¬ 
presses it— 
“ Dark in light exposed 
To daily fraud, contempt, abuse, and wrong ; ” 
and be entirely shut out from the really beautiful in art— 
from that new world which instruction alone can open up to 
the mind, and present in its true and living features. 
There is scarcely a reader of The Home Companion, 
whatever may have been the status of his education, but re¬ 
members the first view of the first print in the first book 
that the tender mind could fairly understand. Wore it the 
Bible, or “ Banyan's Pilgrim’s Progress,” or “ Homer,” or 
“ Shakspere,” or even the much-dreaded old “ Vyse’s 
Spelling Book,” the impression must have been eqnally vivid. 
To have read, for example, the narrative of Joseph being 
sold by his brethren to the Islimaelites, and his subsequent 
prosperity in Egypt, was very charming : but what imparted 
a richer charm to the enjoyment was the print that, per¬ 
chance, accompanied the text, however rude in conception 
and execution it might have been. It symbolised to the 
youthful mind the spirit of the subject much more readily 
and effectively than the plainest descriptive text, or the 
simplest narration could have done; and enabled the 
imagination to seize hold of its true meaning, when it 
j would have been impervious to any other agency of an 
| instructive nature. The same remark may be applied to the 
i print of Christian on His way from the City of Destruction, 
to that which illustrated the capture of Briseis, and the 
dragging of Hector round the walls of Troy; and as to old 
Vyse, who that has gone through the spelling-course of his 
education forgets the quaint, old representation of “ Brown, 
Jones, aud Robinson,” in the act of bathing, and the ex¬ 
quisite relief it afforded the young mind, when “ used-up ” 
with poring over long syllables and hard words, to ponder 
over its varied parts ? A picture, or print, then, however 
clumsily executed, is more effective to the untutored mind 
\ than a highly-finished paragraph ; it reaches the under- 
' standing by tbe shortest route, and commands attention 
when a more vague and undefined representation would 
most likely fail. Objects of general art have precisely the 
same effect upon the mind of the observer; and a piece of 
sculpture, conceived in the true feeling of genius, and exe¬ 
cuted in the spirit of beauty, will rivet the attention, while 
the most skilful and elaborate description of it would miss 
the mark. 
The difficulty hitherto has been to diffuse these intel¬ 
lectual and highly-illustrative symbols, from their costliness, 
and from the difficulty of increasing them at a more econo¬ 
mical rate, and of a more varied character. By the aid of 
science and art, however, the means of production have been 
largely increased within the last quarter of a century; and 
instead of illustrative objects being confined to the compara¬ 
tively few, they have now become disseminated amongst the 
long-expectant many, “ whose appetite,” for these once 
luxuries, naturally “ grows by what it feeds upon.” Since 
the philosopher has stepped out of his study to shake hands 
with the inmate of the workshop, and he who theorised upon 
practice has fraternised with him who disdained to practise 
upon theory, a rare change has crept over the industrial and 
intellectual world. The artizan, by this movement, is enabled 
to read and study works which were before inaccessible to him, 
—works which teach him how to augment the value of his 
labour by diminishing its severity. When books, moreover, 
with illustrations of a varied nature, and of a singular excel¬ 
lence, can be purchased fora few shillings; and when we have 
structures of diversified character, containing, in one form or 
another, the leading phenomena of every art-age since civi¬ 
lization dawned upon the human race ; and when, moreover, 
these several phenomena are presented in the most attractive 
form, and prepared with the most ingenious skill,—the “ can’t- 
see class " of society ought rapidly to diminish, for surely 
the cold and cheerless winter of their ignorance is as suscep 
tible of being changed by the sunny and cheering light of 
intelligence, when brought to bear directly upon it, as the 
ice-bound waters are to the returning influence of spring. 
A practical fact or so, however, will, perhaps, place this part 
of the subject in a still clearer light. 
(To he continued.) 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
“An Horn wiTn tiik Hollyhock” (J. Oates). — This work, by 
Mr. Paul, is published by Messrs. Piper, Paternoster Row ; the price is 
only a few pence. 
“H. B. S., Monmouthshire.” —We have a letter for this corre¬ 
spondent, if he will favour us with his present address. 
Work on Flowers (IF. It.).— What kind of work do you require? 
Coloured drawings, or directions how to cultivate them ? 
Custard Acple (Busy Body).—Oar correspondent wishes to pur¬ 
chase a plant of this, the Anona cherimalia, to which she was accustomed 
in South America. 
Pomegranates (Blanche).— These are usually sold by grocers, and 
not in Covent Garden. 
Jersey Hand Plough (J. Newland). —It is not made in this country. 
Would not two men with their hoes do the same work more effectually, 
and nearly as quickly ? 
Hume a ei.egans, &c. (E. II. C.). —Move it into a pot at once ; keep 
it in the greenhouse all the winter; plant it out next May, and it will 
flower splendidly. Autumn-sown Phlox Drummandi will continue in 
flower through next summer. In addition to Salvia patens, Chinese 
Larkspur, Lobelia racemoides, and Campanida carpatica, you may, as a 
blue bedder, grow Salvia chamcedrioides. We cannot, at present, give 
engravings of Entrance Gates. 
Musk Plant (E. II. Hamstead ).—This will not injure your Rhodo¬ 
dendrons. German Asters, which will bear moving whilst in flower, 
would succeed your Sweet Williams. 
Fence (Prioet).— Fasten galvanised iron net in front of your iron 
hurdles, and let it extend eighteen inches above them. The fowls will 
not fly over it, as they do not see anything to perch upon. 
Vines under Glass tfSorpvo ).—Buy Sanders’ pamphlet, “ The Cul¬ 
ture of the Vine.” It is published by Messrs. Bcnham and Reeve, Hen- 
rietta-street, Oovent Garden. 
Various (D. SI.).—Atlamandas may be grown in the vinery. What 
do you need about Liliums? Any one can grow them. Many plants 
have no English names ; Allamanda, for example. We usually give them. 
Winesours arc a roundish-oblong, purple plum ; in season about the end 
of September; very excellent for preserving, and much cultivated in 
some of our northern counties. 
Pickling Pork.— J. Newland, Isle of Jersey, says the air of the island 
is so damp that bacon will not keep. He will be much obliged by any 
one sending us for publication the recipe “for a mild pickle that will 
keep pork for six or eight months for family use.” 
Fruiterer (A Housekeeper), —Consult Pigot’s Guide. Any fruiterer 
in Covent Garden would supply you. 
Fruit Trees (A. Atkinson). —If your letter has not been answered, 
wc are quite sure that it was never received. You must write again. 
Names of Plants (Oscar).—1. Tolpis barbata, or Yellow Hawkwecd. 
2. Verbena venosa. 3. Lobelia ramosa ; it may be hardy, hut we should 
refer treating it as a half-hardy plant. 4. Aster cyaneus, one of the 
est of the Starworts. 5. Lobelia cardinalis. 6. Pcnstcmon campanu- 
latum. 7. A variety of the same. 8. Chelone barbatum. Of your 
Climbing Rose , train in as many of the shoots at full length as you re¬ 
quire, and cut away all the others. You had better root out your old 
scrubby Rhododendrons, and plant young ones. 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Our, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County^ of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ¬ 
church, City of London.—October 3, 1864. 
