THE

GARDENER'S MAGAZINE,

APRIL, 1826.

PART I.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. On the Benefits to be derived by the Country Labourer from a Garden, and the Means of teaching him how to acquire those Benefits. By WILLIAM STEVENSON, Esq. Author of the Agricultural Surveys of Surrey and Dorsetshire, &c.

SIR,

THE Introduction to the first Number of your Gardener's Magazine has one singularity, which distinguishes it from all introductions I ever read: so far from exhausting the subjects which your Magazine, from its title and character may be expected to contain, and being so lavish in your promises of advantages to be derived from it, as to stir up doubts in my mind, whether with all your own industry and knowledge, aided by those of a numerous correspondence, you will be able to accomplish them, it seems to me that you have entirely neglected one most important benefit, which through your Magazine may be conferred on the great mass of the country population. The activity and enthusiasm lately displayed for the instruction and improvement of all classes of mechanics, and the consequent amelioration of their condition, and opening unto them new sources of utility and happiness, are highly creditable to the age in which we live. But these advantages are from their very nature confined to the town population of this kingdom. Institutions, associations, and lectures, may be carried on in towns, but they are impracticable in the country, where the population is thinly scattered. In towns, mechanics, by mutual collision, while they are at work, and at other times, strike out new ideas, and thus benefit one another; but in the country this can seldom be the case. In short, it seems to me, that, by the present measures for

the instruction of the mass of the people, the working classes in towns will be enabled to get greatly in advance of those in the country; and I am sure, of all classes, the country population most require the expansion of their minds, and in the end, by this expansion, will most conduce to the real wealth and stability of their country.

But, you will ask, in what manner can the Gardener's Magazine be rendered conducive to this object, which all must allow to be one of the highest interest and importance. I will briefly sketch out a plan, which, if followed, will enable your Magazine to become, at least, in some degree and manner conducive to this object. But, remember, having sketched out such a plan, I leave it entirely to you and your readers properly and fully to execute it.

It is extremely difficult to lead on men, who have not been accustomed to the exercise of their thoughts, and to derive gratification from that exercise, to any mental pursuit: you must at first make use of the gross motives of advantage. Thus, it would be difficult to draw off a peasant from the ale-house to the cultivation of his garden, by merely expatiating on the interest and pleasure derived from such cultivation; you must first get him into his garden, by proving to him, that by its proper cultivation he may benefit his health, save his money, and cheaply contribute to some of his animal gratifications. Having thus drawn him into it, and excited his interest regarding what grows there, and chiefly because by means of his garden his meals may be rendered less costly to his purse, and more agreeable to his palate, you may gradually unfold to him higher and more intellectual motives for cultivating it, and the prospect of new sources of enjoyment to be derived from its cultivation.

These remarks contain the principle on which my plan proceeds. I shall now go into its detail:

I should wish to see in your Magazine a series of papers on the following subjects:

1. Papers that would teach the peasant, in a very plain, explicit, and full manner, how he might derive from his garden, at the least expence of time, labour, and money, the largest contributions to his own meals and those of his family. You must suppose he has just entered on his garden; and that it requires to have every thing done for it: its soil improved, draining, inclosing, &c. After instructions on these topics, give him instructions respecting the kinds of vegetables and fruits, which it will be most for his benefit (always taking into consideration the saving of time and money), to cultivate.

We will suppose that by the assistance of your instructions he has succeeded in making a good garden, and that he

has raised in it excellent vegetables and fruits, and a considerable variety of them; for that is a consideration of great moment, as conducing to give to the interest he takes in his garden a more expanded and a deeper stability. You must not yet leave him to himself; but, stepping a little out of your proper character, teach him in what manner to use these vegetables and fruits, so as to derive from them the greatest nourishment and relish: I add relish, and I particularly and emphatically dwell upon it; because we must enlist animal gratification on our side, otherwise we shall never be able to effect a lodgment in the mind. Do you or your readers, therefore, instruct the peasant population fully and clearly how they may best keep their vegetables and fruits, after they have, by attention to your rules, raised them; how they may best pickle or preserve such as are suited for these purposes; and in what manner they should cook them, so as to render them most nutritious, palatable, and economical. It is unnecessary for me to go into further detail; many subordinate and collateral points, connected with this division of the plan, will suggest themselves to you and your readers.

. Having thus succeeded in creating an interest in the mind of the peasant for his garden, by connecting his own benefit and gratification, with proper attention to it, we may proceed one step farther, and, taking advantage of that interest, and of that fondness for flowers, which seems almost natural to man, direct his thoughts and wishes next to their cultivation. On this point your Magazine might be of essential service. I do not mean by merely teaching him, what flowers best suit certain soils and climates, or how they are to be managed during the whole of their progress; but by improving his taste. Teach him in what manner to select and arrange his flowers, so as best to please the eye; and by degrees give him reasons for such selection and arrangement; first, however, give him time to perceive from his own observation and experience, that his eye and taste are most pleased by a certain selection and arrangement; and then enter on the most simple and obvious reasons why they should be so.

We have now got our peasant one degree above mere profit and animal gratification, with respect to the motives. which lead him to attend to his garden: but we must not yet give up these auxiliaries, nor think our cause degraded by their assistance.

3. In the course of teaching him that his vegetables and fruits will thrive best in certain soils, or with certain manures, an easy, natural, and obvious transition may be made to the causes why this is the case, and his attention and interest being thus excited, a considerable degree of instruction may

be given in the more simple and elementary points of vegetable physiology. But one grand object must never be lost sight of -to induce and enable him to become his own instructor; and this must be effected, by gradually leading him to make observations on what is daily going on among his vegetables and fruits - the greater vigour and quicker growth of some; and thence an investigation into the causes. Teach him to take an interest in his garden; and then he will soon use his eyes when in it; he cannot long use his eyes, before his thoughts will be exercised; and this is all that is necessary to render him first a good gardener, and next a tolerable botanist and physiologist.

One great advantage our peasant possesses over the town mechanic. Nature is constantly making experiments for the former, she is every moment at work under his eyes, he has only to see and think, and what she does is more beautiful and astonishing than any thing man can do. Whereas the town mechanic must either make experiments himself, or attend to those of others. Besides the difficulty, or perhaps impracticability of the first, and the inconveniences attending the second, he cannot watch the processes and results of the experiments so attentively, so long, or so repeatedly as the peasant can do those which Nature is carrying on under his eyes.

4. But we may render our peasant still better informed, and thus multiply his sources of utility and enjoyment. Here also we ought to work by means of gross motives. In giving him instructions regarding his vegetables, fruits, and flowers, you will, of course, point out to him the depredations committed on them by various kinds of insects, &c. and the best manner in which they can be protected from these depredations; this unfolds a very obvious mode for drawing his attention and interest to one branch of natural history; as it certainly would be no difficult matter to lead him to study the habits and actions, if not the structure of the insects that frequent or infest his garden. In order to protect his vegetables, fruits, and flowers from them, he must know something about them, he must feel some interest about them; and this feeling and knowledge, properly taken advantage of, will lead our peasant to instruct himself, by his own observation and experience, in the more easy and pleasing parts of insectology.

I may be too sanguine in the results I expect from such a series of papers as I have described; but I cannot help thinking, that by means of them, not only may the peasant population be enabled to derive from their garden a more abundant, various, and better supply of vegetables and fruits for their table, at less expence of time and money; and to cook them in such a manner, as will be at once more eco

nomical, and render them more wholesome, nutritious, and palatable; not only may the peasant population be enabled to cultivate flowers with skill and success, to take an interest in their cultivation, and to improve their taste, and thus multiply their sources of innocent pleasure; not only may the peasant be enabled by such a series of papers, to teach himself much on botany, vegetable physiology, and insectology, and by watching Nature as she is at work in his flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees, and in the insects that frequent them, raise and purify his thoughts; but I do hope and believe, that by such a series of papers, a few, at least, may be called forth from the ignorance and obscurity in which they otherwise would have dwelt, and be rendered useful contributors to these branches of sciences. Much still remains to be learnt, which can only or best be learned by those who use their eyes and thoughts while in a garden; much, especially, respecting the manners, habits, and economy of the various tribes of minute insects which frequent a garden.

If, therefore, by such a series of papers this branch of natural history is advanced, you will indirectly have done service to science; but whether this be the result or not, such a series must tend to benefit the peasant population, by increasing at once the sources from which their animal wants and gratifications are supplied, and opening to them, by the cultivation of their minds, new sources of much higher utility and pleasure. I trust, therefore, you will set yourself and your friends to work, and begin the series immediately, I am, Yours, &c.

3, Beaufort Row, Chelsea. 21st February 1826.

W. STEVENSON.

ART. II. Some Account of a Conservatory lately erected at the Grange, the Seat of Alexander Baring, Esq. M.P., Hampshire. By MR. PETER M'ARTHUR, F.H.S. Gardener there; with a preliminary notice respecting the Architecture of the Mansion, by an Anonymous Contributor.

THE Grange was the seat of the Lord Chancellor Hyde, and the house is one of the best works of Inigo Jones. The architecture of the interior; in particular the hall, corridores, and staircase, and the saloon on the first floor, have been celebrated by Walpole and others, as amongst the finest specimens of his taste. The original building consisted of the Italian square villa; the ground floor containing a suit of low rooms; and the first floor being reserved, according to the fashions of those days, for the best living apartments, was laid out