The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-12-25
ORNAMENTAL. GARDENING.
Essay Hkead BEFORE Ihe state
1AorHtcanturaI Society. a1
EHnpOrIn, Dec. M. 1874.

The man lives not in vain VIII,
plants trees-who plants then
everywhere, in the street, arounC
his dwelling, up and down thu
fields, along the brooks, on the
hills. While living they are, il
their life, leaf, blossom, and shade
as near and dear and welcome tc
him as kindred or friends; silent
but beautiful companions. The
graceful dropping or waving Of
their branches is a continual greet.
ing and blessing. A child who
has been brought up in familiarity
with trees, who has been taught
to love them and care tenderly for
them, to appreciate their beauty,
whether graceful or grand, has
learned something by which name,
reputation, dress or gold can bear
no comparison or give not a 1.-THE
ofthe pleasure. How dearly the
old man loves to sit in his arm
chair, under the trees he planted
years ago when he was young.
They have grown grand and beau
tiful and strong. What a contrast
they are to his weakness and his
bent form land yet:what feeling of
comfort they seem to give.
But when he has gone, and life
has ripened aud died away as rich
and full as the fall of the brilliant
leaf, how precious the name and
memory left behind! Existence
may be lost to sight, but the trees
carry his name on forever to dis
tant generations. Such a one can
ask no better epitaph than this:
'He planted a tree, and they that
reclined in its shadow rise up and
call him blessed"
Everything beautiful in art has
its type in nature, and it is impos-
sibie to love the one without ad-
miring the other. They pervadc
the universe, and it is from the
careful study of this infinity of
matter that genius derives its in
SEPARATION. The painter views with
delight the beautiful tints of the
rainbow, and studies deeply the
gorgeous coloring of a tropical
sunset. The musician listens with
rapture To the music of the birds
rs they MARBLE forth their songs
from amid their woodland haunts,
and to- the soft cadence of the
wind as it muTmurs through the
tree tops; in like manner does the
garden artist gaze with pleasure
on the magnificent and varied land
scape as 1t expands before him.
Gardens are of the most remote
antiquity. Our first parents were
placed in a garden. The writings
.of the most remote historians and
poets contain various descriptions
and traditions concerning the ex-
Extraordinary beauty of gardens.
History proves that a taste for
gardening has kept pace with the
progress of civilization, and that
it has always exerted a powerful
influence upon the passions and
feelings of mankind. Much ofthc
decorative beauty of architecture
bias resulted from the study of the
beautiful combinations and grace
full lines of the vegetable kingdom.
Two thousand years before the
Christian eia Lydia was famed for
its gardens. The gardens of Bah
.ylon are additionally ranked
among the greatest successful com.
;binations OF skill and wealth. The
Persian kings were very partial to
saadens which were cultivated as
much for their beauty as for their
fruit, and even in gardens of limit
Gd extent the trees were arranged
in regular lines AMI figures, and the
walks were bordered with tufts of
roses, violets, and other beautiful
plants.
Many of the wisest and best
unen have signalled their love of
gardens and strawberries by caus-
iAg themselves to- he buried in
them, a custom once frequent
amongst the Greeks, Jows and
Aexicans. Orpheus was buried
in Thrace, and his monument sur
rounded by olive trees, in which a
great number of nightingales were
accustomed to build. Plato wos
buried in the groves of Academus.
Weiland buried the wife of his
heart in his garden at Osmanstadt
where he was afterward buried.
The Greeks eXcelled in archi-
secture more than in gardening.
They had but little love for flow
ers, except as a sensual enjoyment
It is true they had flower markets
that were patroniZed and theiI
learned men wore crowns of flow
ers, and successful warriors were
decked with garlands and wrcaLhs
Their garden decorations partool
largely of statuary and othe
architectural displays.
The Romans devoted much o
their wealth to the adornment o
their gardens and pleasur
grounds. They also gave mucl
attention TO the cultivation of cul
mary vegetables, and carried thei
knowledge of science and art int
the countries they colonized, s
that a great degree of enlighter
cd prosperity followed their foot
steps, TO an extent that til
world has rarely seen eQuallet
With the reign of the Emperor
began the decline of the Empire
The reign of barbarism was tr
mmphant, and the finest palace,
country places, and gardens wer
destroyed. For five centuries tn
monks were almost the only enc
who cultivated gardens and keI
.ul;va tha o,,itnra of frnitS veUat.