Editorial life is not favorable to looking much into detail in a large country like ours. It is not often that the editor's "easy chair" can be left long unoccupied. He may go out for a few days, but things will go wrong if he does not return soon. At least he thinks so. It is no use to tell him that things will prosper just as well when he is gone - that the sun will shine and the world go round long after his very name is sunk deep down in Lethe's stream; he will not believe it, and just there in that chair he feels he must be, if the plants are to grow, the flowers bloom, and the grain fields yield an abundant harvest. So he casts about in his mind whether, in the few days he calls his holiday, he shall go leisurely to one or two choice spots, note every thing in detail, and make a complete job as he goes along; or swoop forward as the swallow flies, and before he has scarcely left his chimney corner, get half way round the world and back again. If we follow our taste, we take the quiet, deliberate task, but in our readers' interest the rapid glance at our immense territory usually gains the day.

So far this season we have had this rapid glance at Northern and North-eastern Pennsylvania, Southern, Central and Western New York, and over a hundred miles into Southern Canada, and it has given great pleasure to note how gardening is prospering even in the remotest villages. The contrast between now and say a dozen years ago, is remarkable. Flowers are everywhere; choice fruits abound ; the plots around the humblest houses show some desire for taste; choice trees and shrubs are not uncommon, but above all this there is an evident attempt at neatness and cleanliness everywhere. It interested the writer of this very much to know the views of leading horticulturists how all this has come about. One said it was through the introduction of lawn mowers; another, the influence of magazines like the Gardener's Monthly, and an enlightened and progressive agricultural press; another thought the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia deserved the credit; another praised the tree agent, who brought nice things to the most impossible places; still another thought of James Vick, Peter Henderson, and the scores of others whose names are heard even where "rolls the Oregon." The United States Government, with its liberal postage laws, had one man's vote, and one man gave his vote "to the ladies." This was while the writer was perched on the top of a stage, driving along Cedar Creek in North-eastern Pennsylvania.

The driver was a German. Passing a very-pretty farmer's garden the casual observation was made that the garden was very pretty. "Dat ish zo," he replied; "dey haf vimins dere. Vere dey haf vimins, vlowers alvays ish." The editorial brain has not yet been able to decide whether the great increase of gardening taste has been due to the happy increase in the number of ladies, or whether any one of the other agencies should have the palm in this contest-Perhaps all, and more, may have had some share in the good result. At any rate, let each advocate and the friends of each view join in congratulations that our lovely art is being so generally appreciated.