9. Several eminent writers, (among general have advanced to a considerable the mode of laying out the gardens, plantdegree of perfection; and it uniformly de- || ing and trimming the trees, was too formal clines with other fine, or ornamental arts. and fantastical. Accordingly, we do not read of splendid gardens among the Babylonians, Egyp-whom were Pope and Addison,) ridiculed tians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, and other nations of antiquity, until they had reached a very exalted state of refinement; and when these nations descended from this condition, or were overthrown by barbarians, this art declined or disappeared. 6. During the period of mental darkness, which prevailed between the eighth and thirteenth centuries, the practice of ornamental gardening had fallen into such general disuse, that it was confined exclusively to the monks. After this period, it began again to spread among the people generally. It revived in Italy, Germany, Holland, and France, long before any attention was paid to it in England. this Dutch mode of gardening, as it was called, and endeavoured to introduce another, more consistent with genuine taste. Their views were, at length, seconded by practical horticulturists; and those principles of the art which they advocated, were adopted in every part of Great Britain. The English mode has been followed and emulated, by the refined nations of the eastern continent, and by many opulent individuals in the United States. 10. Since the beginning of the present century, horticultural societies have been formed in every kingdom of Europe. In Great Britain alone, there are no less than fifty; and, it is satisfactory to add, that 7. In the latter country, but few culina- there are also several of these institutions ry vegetables were consumed before the in the United States. The individuals beginning of the sixteenth century, and who compose these societies, have for their most of these were brought from Holland; || objects, the collection and general disseminor was gardening introduced there, as a nation of information on this interesting source of profit, until about one hundred subject, with special reference to the inyears after that period. Peaches, pears, troduction of new and valuable articles of plums, nectarines, apricots, grapes, cher- cultivation. ries, strawberries, and melons, were luxuries but little enjoyed in England, until near the middle of the seventeenth century. The first hot and ice-houses known on the island, were built by Charles II., who ascended the British throne in 1660,|| and soon after introduced French gardening at Hampton-Court, Carlton, and Marlborough. 11. The authors who have written upon scientific and practical gardening, at different periods, and in different countries, are very numerous. Among the ancient Greek writers, were Hesiod, Theophrastus, Xenophon, and Ælian: among the Latins, Varo was the first; to whom succeeded, Cato, Pliny the elder, Columella, and Palladius. 12. Since the revival of literature, horticulture, in common with agriculture, has shared largely in the labours of the learned; and many works, on this important branch of rural economy, have been published in every language of Europe. But the publications, on this subject, which at-pecially that branch of it called picturesque, tract the greatest attention, are the peri- or landscape. To produce a pleasing effect, odicals under the superintendence of the in a garden of this kind, from twenty to great horticultural societies. Those of one hundred acres are necessary, accordLondon and Paris, are particularly distin- ing to the manner in which the ground guished. may be situated. In an area of that extent, every branch of this pleasing art can be advantageously embraced. 17. Delicate exotic plants, which will 13. It is impossible to draw a distinct line between horticulture and agriculture, since so many articles of cultivation are common to both, and since a well regulated || not bear exposure to the open air during farm approaches very nearly to a garden. 14. The divisions of a complete garden, usually adopted by writers on this subject, are the following: 1st. the culinary garden; 2d. the flower garden; 3d. the orchard, embracing different kinds of fruits; 4th. the vineyard; 5th. the seminary, for raising seeds; 6th. the nursery, for raising trees to be transplanted; 7th. the botanical garden, for raising various kinds of plants; 8th. the arboretum of ornamental trees; and, 9th. the picturesque, or landscape garden. To become skilful in the management of even one or two of these branches, requires much attention; but to become proficient in all, would require years of the closest application. 15. In Europe, the professed gardeners constitute a large class of the population. They are employed, either in their own gardens, or in those of the wealthy, who engage them by the day, or year. There are some who devote their attention to this business, in this country; but these are chiefly from the other side of the Atlantic. In our Southern States, the rich assign one of their slaves to the garden. the winter, are preserved from the effects of the cold, in hot, or green-houses, which may be warmed by artificial heat. A hot house is exhibited in the representation of a garden, at the head of this article. It is composed chiefly of window-glass, set in sashes of wood. A green-house is usually larger; and is designed for the preservation of those plants requiring less heat. 18. The vegetables commonly cultivated in gardens for the table, are,―corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, beans, squashes, cucumbers, melons, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants, beets, parsnips, carrots, onions, radishes, cabbages, asparagus, lettuce, grapes, and various kinds of fruits. The flowers, ornamental shrubs, and trees, are very numerous, and are becoming more so, by accessions from the forests and foreign countries. 19. The scientific horticulturist, in laying off his garden, endeavours to unite beauty and utility, locating the flowers, ornamental shrubs, and trees, where they will be most conspicuous; and those vegetables less pleasing to the eye, in more retired situations, yet in a soil and expo16. Almost every family in the country sure adapted to their constitution. In imand villages of the United States, has its proving the soil of his garden, he brings little garden for the production of vegeta- to his aid the science of chemistry, togebles; in which are also usually reared, a || ther with the experience of practical men. few flowers, ornamental shrubs, and fruit He is also careful in the choice of his fruit trees: but horticulture, as a science, is trees, and in increasing the variety of their studied and practised here by very few; es- || products, by engrafting, and by inoculation. 1. THE Miller belongs to that class of employments which relates to the preparation of food and drinks for man. His business consists, chiefly, in reducing the farinaceous grains to a suitable degree of fineness. 2. The simplest method by which grain can be reduced to meal, or flour, is, by rubbing or pounding it between two stones; and this was probably the one first practised, in all primitive conditions of society, as it is still pursued among some tribes of uncivilized men. 3. The first machine for comminuting grain, of which we have any knowledge, was a simple hand-mill, composed of a nether stone, fixed in a horizontal position, and an upper stone, which was put in motion with the hand, by means of a peg. This simple contrivance is still used in India, as well as in some sequestered parts of Scotland, and on many of the plantations in the Southern States of our Union. But, in general, where large quantities of grain are to be ground, it has been entirely superseded by mills not moved by manual power. 4. The modern corn and flour mill differs from the ancient hand-mill, in the size of the stones, in the addition of an apparatus for separating the hulls and bran from the farinaceous part of the grain, and in the power applied for putting it in motion. 5. The grinding surfaces of the stones have channels, or furrows, cut in them, which proceed obliquely from the centre to the circumference. The furrows are cut slantwise on one side, and perpendicu larly on the other; so that each of the ridges which they form, has a sharp edge: and when the upper stone is in motion, these edges pass one another, like the blades of a pair of scissors, and cut the grain more easily, as it falls upon the fur rows. 6. The upper stone is a little convex, and the other a little concave. There is a trifling difference, however, between the convexity and concavity of the two stones: this difference causes the space between them to become less and less towards their edges; and the grain, being admitted between them, is, consequently, ground finer and finer, as it passes out in that direction; in which it is impelled, by the centrifugal power of the moving stone. distance between the stones can be easily regulated, to grind either fine or coarse. The grain about to be submitted to the action of the mill, is thrown into the hopper, H, whence it passes by the shoe, or spout, I, through a hole in the upper stone, and then between them both. 8. If the flour, or meal, is not to be separated from the bran, the simple grinding completes the operation; but when this separation is to be made, the comminuted grain, as it is thrown out from between the stones, is carried, by little leathern buckets fastened to a strap, to the upper end of an octagonal sieve, placed in an inclined position in a large box. The coarse bran passes out at the lower end of the sieve, or bolt, and the flour, or fine particles of 7. By a careful inspection of the follow-bran, through the bolting-cloth, at differing picture, the whole machinery of a common mill may be understood: ent places, according to their fineness. At the head of the bolt, the superfine flour passes; in the middle, the fine flour; and at the lower end, the coarse flour and fine bran; which, when mixed, is called canel, or shorts. 9. The best material of which millstones are made, is the burr-stone, which is brought from France in small pieces, weighing from ten to one hundred pounds. These are cemented together with plaster of Paris, and closely bound around the circumference, with hoops made of bar iron. For grinding corn or rye, those made of sienite, or granite rock, are frequently used. 10. A mi exclusively employed in grinding grain consumed by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, is called a grist or custom mill; and a portion of the grist is allowed to the miller, in payment for his services. The proportion is regulated by law; and, in our own country, it varies according to the legislation of the different States. C 14. In our Southern States, hominy is a favourite article of food. It consists of the flinty portions of Indian corn, which have been separated from the hulls and eyes of the grain. To effect this separation, the corn is sometimes ground very coarsely in a mill; but the most usual method is that of pounding it in a mortar. 15. The mortar is excavated from a log of hard wood, between twelve and eighteen inches in diameter. The form of the excavation is similar to that of a common iron mortar, except that it is less flat at the bottom, to prevent the corn from being 11. Mills in which flour is manufactured and packed in barrels for sale, are called merchant mills. Here, the wheat is purchased by the miller, or by the owner of the mill, who relies upon the difference between the original cost of the grain, and the probable amount of its several products when sold, to remunerate him for the manufacture, and his investments of capital. In Virginia, and, perhaps, in some of the other States, it is a common practice among the farmers to deliver to the millers their wheat, for which they receive a specified quantity of merchantable flour. 12. The power most commonly employ-reduced to meal during the operation. The ed to put heavy machinery in operation, is pestle is usually made by confining an iron that supplied by water. This is especially | wedge in the split end of a round stick, by the case, with regard to mills for grinding means of an iron ring. grain; but when this cannot be had, a substitute is found in steam, and animal strength. The wind is also rendered subservient to this purpose. The wind-mill was invented in the time of Augustus Ca-mortar, it is moistened with hot water, sar. During the reign of this emperor, and probably long before, mules and asses were employed both by the Greeks and Romans, in turning their mills. The period at which water-mills began to be used cannot be certainly determined. Some writers place it as far back as the Christian era. 13. Wheat flour is one of the staple commodities of the United States, and there are mills for its manufacture in almost every part of the country, where wheat is extensively cultivated; but our most celebrated flour-mills are on the Brandywine creek, in Delaware, and at Rochester, in New-York. 16. The white flint corn is the kind usually chosen for hominy; but any kind, with the requisite solidity, will answer the purpose. Having been poured into the and immediately beaten with the pestle, until the eyes and hulls are forced from the flinty portions of the grain. The part of the corn which has been reduced to meal, by the foregoing process, is removed by means of a sieve, and the hulls by the aid of the wind. 17. Hominy is prepared for the table by boiling it in water for twelve hours, with about one-fourth of its quantity of white beans, and some fat bacon. It is eaten while yet warm, with milk, or butter; or, if suffered to get cold, it is again warmed with lard, or some fat substance, before it is brought to the table. |