GARDENS. A garden, as distinguished from a farm, is a piece of ground designed for the cultivation of plants not actually indispen sable to man for food. While corn for flour, various roots and herbs for the sustenance of cattle, or tracts of pasture land on which ani mals destined for slaughter are maintained, constitute the essential features of a farm,— a garden, even when exclusively occupied by culinary vegetables, is still a source of objects of luxury, not of first necessity ; in a more extended sense, and as it usually exists at the present day, it is chiefly intended to gratify the senses, and to minister to the more re fined enjoyments of social life. The posses Eton of a garden is one of the earliest indications of civilization in man : it may be fairly con sidered that the taste fer gardens has been at all times commensurate with the wealth of nations generally, their peaceful habits, and advance in the social relations of life.
The first great step that was made by gar deners to advance their art beyond mere me chanical operations was the invention of glass houses, in which plants might be grown in an artificial climate, and protected from the in clemency of weather. Until this was effected, it is obvious that the cultivation of exotic plants in Europe, especially its northern kingdoms, must have been much circum scribed. Mr. Loudon, in his Encyclopaedia of Gardening,' gives valuable descriptions of all the most famous gardens in the world. The repeal of the glass duties in England is likely to be very beneficial to gardening, in respect to the construction of green-houses, hot-houses, palm-houses, &c.
A little information on the supply of London with vegetables and fruit will be found under MARKET GARDENING.