670. During the eighteenth century, the progress of horticulture, as of every other department or gardening, was rapid. This will appear from the great number of excellent authors who appeared during this period, as Miller, Lawrence, Bradley, Switzer, in the first half; and Hitt, Abercrombie, the Rev. W. Marshall, M'Phail, and others, in the latter part of the period. Switzer was an artist gardener and a seedsman, and laid out many excellent kitchen and fruit-gardens, and built some hot-walls and forcing-houses. Macky, in his Tour through England, published in 1720, says that Secretary Johnson had in his garden the best collection of fruit trees of most gentlemen in England, and that he was particularly celebrated for his vines, which he grew on slopes, and from which he made some hogsheads of wine every year. He adds, that Dr. Bradley ranked Johnson among the first gardeners of the kingdom. (Macky, as quoted by Lysons, vol. ii. p. 774.)
