21. Among the recent Scottish writers on gardening, one remains to be mentioned, who will long hold a dis tinguished place,—the late Mr NValter Nicol. He was the son of the gardener, who planned and executed the ex tensive pleasure-grounds of Raith in Fileshire; and here he received his horticultural education. He afterwards acted for some time as gardener to the Marquis of Town send at Reinhamhall in the county of Norfolk ; but he left England in order to take charge of the fine gardens and grounds of General 1Vemyss of Wemyss-Castle in Fife, the improvements there having been conducted un der the directions of his father. Here he observed a praiseworthy practice, now too much neglected by head gardeners,—that of instructing his young men or assist ants, not only in botany, but in writing, arithmetic, ge ometry, and mensuration. He used to remark, that he thus not only improved his scholars, but taught himself, and made his knowledge so familiar, that he could apply it in the daily business of life. In this way he gradually became qualified to communicate his information to the public. In 1797 the first of his works appeared, under the title of "The Scots Forcing Gardener," in one volume octavo. About this time he changed his mode of life, and dedicated his whole attention to the planning and improv ing of ornamental grounds. In 1803 he published the 6, Practical Planter," a book which both increased his re putation as a writer, and extended his employment as an improver. In 1809 appeared the "Villa Garden Directory," a little book which soon acquired the hign character which it still retains. The " Gardener's Calendar," in one large volume octavo, came out in 1810, and for ins . day one of the best baoks on horticulture in our In the same year he undertook an exten.:.ive journey through England, visiting all the principal seat; and in that country ; and on his return he made some progress in composing a 44 Planter's Calendar." But after a few weeks illness he died, on the 5th March 1811. ills last' work just mentioned, has since been completed and published by his friend 'Mr Edward Sang, nurseryman at Kirkcaldy in Fife.
22. In 1805, a Horticultural Society was instituted at London, under the patronage of Earls Dartmouth and Yowls, Sir Joseph Banks, and other distinguished charac ters. The first volume of its Transactions appeared, in 4to, in 1812, containing several useful and scientific communications, by Mr T. A. Knight, 'Mr It. A. Salis bury, and other ingenious horticulturists. In 1809. the Caledonian Horticultural Society was established at Edin burgh, by the individual exertions of that venerable physi cian and excellent amateur gardener Dr Andrew Duncan, senior, Professor of the Institutes of Medicine in the Uni versity there. The Society has been fostered by several of the Scottish nobility and gently, particularly the Duke of Buceleuch, the Earl of Wemyss and March, the Earl of Leven, Sir James Hall, Sir George Stewart Mackenzie, Sir George Buchan Hepburn, and others. It publishes Memoirs, in the octavo size, in detached parts or numbers, two parts generally appearing in the course of the year; and some important enough papers have in this brought before the public. A desire of improving their knowledge of gardening has thus been excited among gentlemen ; and the intelligence and zeal of practical cul tivators is thus, in the most unassuming way, made known to the world.
23. Perhaps no fitter place may occur for warning gen tlemen of the value of the services of an experienced gar dener, and of the propriety of employing only, one who has made himself acquainted with all the parts of his busi ness; as well as for inculcating on gardeners themselves, the necessity of their diligently and practically studying every branch of their profession. A well informed and
judicious gardener, instructed by experience, is a treasure which every gentleman should prize. Numerous as are the books on gardening, and excellent as some of them un doubtedly are, there are many parts of the gardener's duty for which no general rules can possibly be laid clown : like the physician, he has to deal with the living principle, and his treatment of his trees, especially, must vary, ac cording to a thousand nameless circumstances. Much must depend at all times on his own sagacity and observa tion ; but very much is to be learned by a young gardener, from practising under the eye of an experienced master. A gardener ought to have some knowledge of chemistry, particularly of the doctrines of heat, of the nature of water, and of vegetable physiology. All good practical gardeners, indeed, become chemists to a certain extent, without know ing it.
The profession contains different departments. The cul tivator of rare plants, or the botanical gardener, may excel in his own department, and yet be very little acquainted with the proper management of fruit-trees. The fruit gardener generally possesses a knowledge of the culture of kitchen vegetables : but a great proportion of the com mon order of workmen, who have acquired a competent knowledge of the last-mentioned branch of horticulture, are extremely ill informed concerning the treatment of fruit-trees. 1. The business of the botanical gardener im plies, as already remarked, the cultivation of all sorts of rare plants, either in the open border, in frames, in the green-house, the conservatory, or the stove ; the adapting of the soil and artificial climate to the respective kinds of plants ; a discriminating eye, and an acquaintance more or less familiar with the characters and names of the genera and species of plants, as described by \Villdenow, at least of such as are contained in the Horn's Kewensis, or the Cambridge Catalogue. To these qualifications must be added, general taste in the disposing of plants in borders, and in the forming and keeping of ornamental wounds. 2. The fruit-gardener should have a correct knowledge of the different kinds of fruit-trecs, and the principal varieties of each kind ; he must be familiarly acquainted with the method of training and pruning suited to each sort, and must at the same time possess judgment and experience, to enable him to adapt the degree of pruning or mode of training to the peculiar circumstances of the individual tree.. He must understand the formation of fruit-tree bor ders, the operations of grafting and budding, and the pre serving of blossom. The peach-house, the vinery, and the pine-stove, belong to his department, as well as the melon frames, and some other subordinate matters. Much may be learned from authors ; from Miller, Forsyth, Hitt, Speedily, and others ; but an intimate acquaintance with the proper training, and the proper pruning and disbud cling of• wall trees, is to be acquired only by observation and practice, as they vary continually, according to the soil, aspect, luxuriant or weakly state of the tree, and even according to the season. 3. The kitchen-gardener's duty is generally thought to be very simple and easy ; but he who can perform it neatly, and with success, may be ac counted a good general gardener. The rearing of several culinary articles requires particular attention ; such as as paragus, celery, sea-cale, mushrooms, and, above all, me lons and cucumbers. Great assistance may be derived from books,—from Abercrombie's Practical Gardener, and Nicol's Calendar ; but a person who has never wit nessed nor practised any of the nicer parts of the kitchen gardener's clk.ty will be but ill qualified to attempt them.