15. From the middle to the end of the 18th century, one of the most popular and useful writers on horticultu ral subjects was John Abercrombie, who, either from dif fidence or some other motive, at first published his writ ings under the borrowed name of Thomas Illawe. It is said he was patronized and encouraged by the celebrated Dr Oliver Goldsmith. He was the son of a market-gar dener near Edinburgh, and had gone into England when a young man, and after acting as a workman for some years at Kew Gardens, had been enabled to begin business as a nurseryman at Hackney. The work entitled " Every Alan his own Gardener" has passed through at least twenty editions. This is formed on the plan of a calendar, con taining practical instructions under detached monthly heads. Before his death, which happened in 1806, he had pre pared another work, entitled "The Practical Gardener," in which the systematic method is adopted, of connecting under one article every thing relative to the culture of the same plant. This last has been published in the form of a thick duodecimo volume. He wrote also, "The Brit ish Fruit Gardener," " The complete Forcing Gardener," and " The Complete Kitchen Gardener, and Hot-bed Forcer," and still other books of similar import. It is perhaps to be regretted, that he was induced by booksel lers to multiply his publications so much, this circuinstance having tended to bring upon him the imputation 01 book making, and to excite some degree of prejudice against him. In point of fact, however, he understood the busi ness of gardening extremely well, and his writings alto gether afford a very complete view of horticultural ope rations.
16. Another deservedly popular work on horticulture remains to be noticed. It is written by the Rev. Charles Marshall, a clergyman of the church of England, who is evidently a very zealous amateur gardener. The title is, An Introduction to the Knowledge and Practice of Gar dening." A great deal of correct information is here con densed into little space, and conveyed in perspicuous and unaffected language. There is subjoined to it a compen dious calendar, better calculated, we think, to be useful as•a remembrance') than any one published since the time of Evelyn.
17. The " Dictionary of Gardening," bearing to be written by Alexander Macdonald, gardener, in two vo lumes 4to, is an expensive work, which has not acquired much reputation. It appears to be little more than a com pilation, and is certainly not the work of a practical gar dener; but it necessarily includes a great deal of useful Of late years, the culture of the vine and of the pineapple has been very well treated by Speedily, in separate works. Forsyth's " Treatise on Fruit-trees and their diseases, with a particular method of cure," first ap peared in 1791, in 4to. The royal patronage, kindly be stowed on an old and meritorious servant, secured to this work a considerable degree of attention, and even procur ed for the author the extraordinary distinction of a parlia mentary reward. Many excellent remarks are to be found in the book. In 1802 it was republished, with improve ments, in an octavo form.
18. Curtis's CC Botanical Magazine" was begun in 1787; and it has been continued in monthly numbers, with little intermission, ever since; Dr Sims having edited the work since Mr Curtis's death. Important hints arc frequently thrown out as to the habits, mode of cultivation, and uses, of the plants described and figured. Maddock's " Florist's
Directory," appeared in 1792 ; and it is still the standard book of instructions for the cultivation of the hyacinth, tulip, ranunculus, anemone, auricula, carnation, pink, and polyanthus, the favourites of the florist, strictly so called. The " Exotic Gardener," by J. Cushing, foreman to Messrs Lee and Kennedy of Hammersmith, is the latest and best treatise on the management of the hothouse, green-house, and conservatory, and on the soils suitable to tender ex otics in general.
19. In the Philosophical Transactions for 1795, the first of Mr Thomas Andrew Knight's horticultural papers made its appearance: it is entitled, Observations on the grafting of trees. In the Transactions for 1799, 1801, and 1803, are contained his ingenious papers on the fecunda tion of fruits, and on the sap of trees. His excellent little Treatise on the Culture of the Apple and Pear," was published in 1797. He has presented several interesting communications to the Horticultural Society of London, which are published in the Transactions of that society, to be afterwards noticed.
In the hasty sketch which has now been given of horti cultural writers in England, mama have been passed over, some of whom would deserve notice, and perhaps com mendation, in a more detailed account.
20. Scotland has been more distinguished for producing excellent practical gardeners than good publications on the art of gardening. There does not appear to have existed any Scottish system of gardening, as a separate book, till th, beginiiingol the 181 Ii century, when "The Scots Garf.'m•" was published by John Reid, gardener to Sir Gecrge Mac kenzie of Rosehaugh. The work is divided into two parts; the first treating of cm.trising and planting of gardens, orchards, avenues, and groves ; the second, of the pro pagation and improvement of forests and Inuit trees, kitchen herbs, roots and fruits ; with a gardener's calendar ; the whole adapted to the climate of Scotland. The style is very inaccurate ; but the matter evinces not only an ac quaintance with previous horticultural works, but a prac tical knowledge of the subject. About thirty years after the publication of Reid's book, there appeared " The Scots Gardener's Director, by James Justice, F. R. S. and one of the principal clerks of Session," (i. e. of the Court of Session or supreme civil court of Scotland.) This is characterized, by Professor ."N'lartyn, as " an original and truly valuable work, founded upon reflection and experience." Nearly at the same time Dr Gibson published an anonymous octavo volume on fruit-trees, containing many useful remarks, and some curious notices concerning the history of the most esteemed apples and pears of Scottish origin, or which are generally supposed to be of Scottish origin. In 1744, there appeared a small octavo volume, entitled " The Planter's, Florist's, and Gardener's Pocket Dictionary, by James Gordon, nurseryman at Fountainbridge near Edin burgh." It is avowedly a compilation ; but the author, being a practical gardener, occasionally gives his own opinions and practice, It has already been seen, that several of the Scottish gardeners who have settled in Eng land have attained distinction as authors. We allude, in particular, to Abercrombie, the voluminous writer lately spoken of, and to Forsyth, the author of the Treatise on Fruit-trees.