RELATIONS BETWEEN PLANTS AND FLOWERS. 
149 
latter two alternately ; and, generally speaking, lie knows nothing 
of the plant but its name, if indeed he even remembers that cor¬ 
rectly, still he presumes that the gardener must know all plants, 
and how to manage them, and thus if, which is very often the 
case, the plant refuses to flower, becomes unsightly, or dies, the 
innocent gardener offends his master, and may lose his situation. 
Now, with the exception of a very limited number, the 'nobility 
and gentry of this country do not pay wages which would cover 
the expense of preparing for the duties of the office; and the 
gardener who is expected to understand the management of every 
plant, how difficult soever it may be to acquire the knowledge 
of that management, would, in a pecuniary point of view, be far 
better cultivating a few acres in garden stuff, and selling the 
produce. This is the fatal dead weight which presses upon the 
culture of ornamental plants in Britain; and until it is removed, 
the art'will not be what it ought to be. "We believe it is not in 
accordance with the system in this country for gentlemen to give 
themselves much trouble about promoting even the professional 
knowledge of those who labour under them, and therefore we 
must look to some other quarter for that increased intelligence 
which is so desirable. 
And where, it may naturally be asked, is this extension of 
_ v 
knowledge to be sought for ? To which we answer, not in learned 
societies ; for they are the mere go-carts and leading-strings of 
the arts and sciences in their infant years ; not in those who have 
become old as professional or as amateurs, for they have taken 
their places in society, and have neither the means nor the desire 
of getting out of the rut. If they have been fortunate, they 
enjoy the good things of the world ; and if the reverse, their spirits 
are broken ; and neither the one class nor the other can do much 
for the promoting of improvement. We must seek for that 
among the young,—among those whom the hopes of the world 
enable to ride buoyant over its despairs, and in whom the love 
of knowledge is still superior to the love of gain. These are the 
parties in whom our chief hope lies ; but they labour under great 
difficulties. The information necessary for them is scattered 
through a multitude of books, most of them of a very costly de¬ 
scription, so that no young floriculturist can possess the whole, 
and few indeed have access to them in public libraries. Even if 
they did so possess, or had such access, it would be of compara- 
