6 
the culture of plants was carried far beyond the sim- 
ple provision against physical wants. It is presuma- 
ble, however, that these first attempts of horticultu- 
ral pursuits were necessarily rude and imperfect. 
The histories of those ancient Gardens, the pride of 
Oriental magnificence, seem to imply more the spirit 
of architectural grandeur than the cultivation of the 
soil. 
The study of Vegetables, as a science, and reduc- 
ed to methodical arrangement, did not occupy the at- 
tention of the world until a very late period. Indeed, 
any existing regard to that subject was chiefly con- 
fined to the more useful, or those of reputed medical 
virtues, even to the sixteenth century, when Botanic 
Gardens were first introduced; and the earliest works 
may be referred to about that period. ‘The tedious 
progress which Botany made, the repetition of an- 
cient errors, the dissensions among the fathers of that 
branch of natural science, are familiar to every stu- 
dent of Nature. A new era of light and truth com- 
menced under the labors of Linnzeus ; and since then 
there have been continued advancing developments 
of both useful and interesting facts relative to the 
history of the vegetable world. 
Horticulture, in its restricted sense, has reference 
only to the production of the garden. It is the hap- 
py combination of Art with Nature, seizing upon the 
phenomena of her laws, and producing from her ab- 
errations and occasional seeming sportiveness, new 
and curious results. Hence, it is intimately connect- 
ed with every science which can afford any assistance 
in arriving at such results, but more particularly with 
