INTRODUCTION. Xlll 



the endless questions as to nomenclature and identity 

 that Inevitably arise in connection with so extensive a 

 collection of plants, he had opportunities of consulting 

 many authorities in the library, as well as authenticated 

 specimens in the herbarium. He was privileged also, 

 while at Kew, to make several journeys of inspection to 

 the principal public and private collections in this coun- 

 try, with a view to negotiating exchange. One of these 

 journeys alone resulted in the addition of nearly a thou- 

 sand species of hardy and half-hardy plants to the col- 

 lection in the royal gardens, and contributed in a large 

 degree also to the author's own information and improve- 

 ment as a cultivator. The mass of the materials worked 

 up In this work was collected at Kew from many autho- 

 rities for private use, in the form of an omniitm gatherum 

 of notes on plants in general, but never with a view to 

 publication, else in the case of this fragment, at least, the 

 fulness should have been more complete, and accom- 

 panied with the authorities whence the information given 

 is culled. 



The idea of such a publication originated with Mr 

 William Thomson of Dalkeith, under whose editorship 

 portions of the matter appeared from time to time in 

 'The Gardener' during the past four years, and to whom 

 I am much indebted for valuable suggestions and ad- 

 vice relative to the book. I was further induced by 

 solicitations from many friends, both amateur and pro- 

 fessional, to undertake the work. In a work embrac- 

 ing so many details, it is hardly possible that errors 

 have been altogether avoided ; but I trust such as may 

 appear will be found neither so numerous nor im- 

 portant as to affect the general value and accuracy of 



