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THE thirst for knowledge is as old as the creation; and mankind ever has sought, and ever will seek, for novelty as for hid treasure. Trusting to this longing, which is a great incentive to action in the horticultural world, we venture, at this inclement season of the year, to lay before the horticulturists of the country a new Magazine of Horticulture. "And in what," we hear you say, "do you propose to differ from the other horticultural magazines which zealous laborers in the fruitful field monthly present to us?" Pardon us: we wish to differ with none, but to aid all; to go hand in hand with our fellow-laborers; and to lend our aid, be it great or little, to the improvement of horticultural science, and the dissemination of information on floriculture and pomology. But let us plainly state our position : a number of gentlemen practically interested in horticulture, feeling that there is room for a horticultural monthly of high character and liberal tone, have agreed to issue such a magazine, and herewith present you the first number. To the thousands who are interested in horticulture, to whom each budding tree, each unfolding flower, each ripening seed, is a fresh and ever-new source of delight, we offer our aid, and the varied experience of our corps of contributors, many of whom are not unknown to horticultural literature.

To those whose good fortune leads them to enjoy a country life, where Nature, ever unfolding her varied pages of instructive beauty, insensibly makes the soul wiser and better, we proffer our aid to show new beauties, and to teach how to enjoy them.

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To those who choose a city home, we would also teach the art of home-adornment; would show how the vine may for them yield its luscious clusters, how the little front-patch under the windows may be a constant well-spring of floral beauty, the drawing-room window be gay with flowers, the ivy twine around the rooms, and the delicate tracery of ferns and mosses look out upon them through the windows of Wardian cases. To the gardener, whose aim is to produce the most flowers in the least space, and to whom every new plant of free-flowering habit is a treasure, we hope to introduce new and valuable plants. And we trust that in our pages the amateur may find cultural rules, and records of experience, for which he might look elsewhere in vain. Horticulture, as treated by us, will be divided into the three great branches of culture, flowers, fruit, and vegetables.

The wider field of agriculture we leave for the present, and confine ourselves to the garden; although, occasionally, we may find space to treat upon grasses and forage-crops, and the field-culture of vegetables and cereals.

And, first, floriculture. In this department, the garden, the green-house, the forcing and cold house, the orchid-house and stove, will each receive due attention. To us, the garden of a few square feet will not be neglected as insignificant: many of our finest plants have come from little garden-plots, where the zeal of some ardent floriculturist met its due reward.

Each season, all that is new will be presented; nor will old favorites be neglected. Cultural treatises on every plant of interest to the florist, with copious illustrations, will form a prominent feature of the magazine.

Window-gardening, the growth of house-plants, will be treated in popular language; and the wild-flowers of our woods and fields, often fairer than their garden rivals, and too much neglected, will receive well-merited notice.

Pomology in its many branches will especially engage our attention. Through the garden, the orchard, the forcing-house, the cold and hot. grapery, and the orchard-house, we shall walk with our readers month by month, and note the needs, explain the difficulties, of culture, the applica

tion of manures, the treatment in fruit and flower, the preservation and ripening of fruit, and the different modes of pruning.

The kitchen-garden, so important, and so much neglected, will be under the especial charge of correspondents whose long experience is sufficient guaranty for the practical value of their communications. Articles on architecture, as adapted to horticulture and to country-homes and the embellishment of grounds, will be contributed by one whose taste was never yet at fault; and the kindred subject of landscape-gardening will be specially within our province. Entomology and ornithology, as connected with horticulture, will be treated by competent writers.

And, to do all we promise, we present you a magazine twice the size of any now published in the country. Of its style and general appearance the opening number can enable you to judge; and we can only say, that, as improvement and progress are to be our aim, we trust each month may be an improvement on the past.

For our corps of writers, and other general information, we refer to the publishers' advertisement: but, as editors, we shall cordially welcome any contributions from any source; and we ask the aid of all interested in horticulture in carrying out our plans.

We shall hold ourselves ready to answer any questions on horticulture as far as may be in our power.

Our pages will ever be open for discussion on subjects of horticultural interest, in which, while avoiding all personalities, it will be our aim to develop the truth.

And we must invoke the assistance of our fair readers to aid our undertaking. A portion of our pages each month will be devoted to gardening for ladies, and the culture of plants best suited for the parlor will receive special attention.

Our course will be independent. Having no interest in any horticultural establishment, we shall aim to do justice to all.

These being our aims, we ask you to extend to us a cordial greeting; to take us by the hand on this morning of the new year, and bid us welcome. We will not always come with a wreath of holly-berries and evergreen, but, as the days roll on, will greet you with snowdrop and crocus, with rosy showers of apple-blossoms, with roses and lilies, golden

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