FLORICULTURAL GLEANINGS. 31 



servation of any individual reader. Many of his works, Avhen viewed 

 singly, are monuments of the most surprising skill and perseverance ; 

 and, when taken collectedly, they amount to an almost incredihle 

 result, which cannot fail to excite the highest astonishment. 



" Mr. Loudon was a native of Scotland ; but he removed in early 

 life to London. He was by profession a gardener, but he devoted 

 much time also to literary pursuits ; and his first communication 

 which appeared in print was a biographical notice of the celebrated 

 Abelard, written for Sheraton's " Cabinet-makers' Encyclopaedia," 

 which is in the possession of Thomas Sopwith, Esq., of Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne. Among the most useful of the works which he afterwards 

 conducted may be mentioned the ' Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm, 

 and Villa Architecture,' 1300 closely printed pages of which are 

 illustrated with 2300 engravings on wood ; and incalculable benefit 

 has been afforded to the country by the vast amount of useful and 

 practical information it contains. His ' Encyclopaedia of Agriculture 

 and Gardening,' and many similar works, are elaborate condensations 

 of an enormous amount of information; but, wonderful as they are, 

 they are exceeded by his great work, the ' Arboretum et Fruticetum 

 Britannicum,' which he published in 1838, at a cost of upwards of ten 

 thousand pounds. This splendid work has been pronounced in the 

 ' Quarterly Review' to be ' complete in its kind, and a standard book 

 of reference on all subjects connected with trees ;' an opinion con- 

 firmed by all the principal reviews of Europe and America. 



" Mr. Loudon conducted at that time upwards of thirteen different 

 publications, the bare enumeration of which would be of considerable 

 length. 



" In consequence of the excessive labour which he devoted to the 

 compilation of the ' Encyclopaedia of Gardening,' Mr. Loudon fell 

 into ill health in 1821, which obliged him to have his right arm am- 

 putated, his left hand being at the same time so much injured as to 

 leave him only the partial use of two fingers. The additional expenses 

 to which he was thus liable, by having to employ draughtsmen and an 

 amanuensis, and a servant to act as valet, tended materially to lessen 

 the pecuniary advantages he might have reaped from his industry. 

 His labours, which were continued with untiring zeal, at length 

 finally undermined his constitution, and an attack of inflammation of 

 the lungs terminated in chronic bronchitis, which forbade all hope of 



