IV PREFACE. 



perusal ; and we are not without hope that there is something 

 to be learned even by the professed gardener. In this work, 

 as ia others that have been successful beyond our expectations, 

 we have confined our instructions to what we have practised. 

 We have ventured no speculative theories, we have borrowed 

 nothing from others ; we have succeeded in the cultivation of 

 nearly every tribe of plants in British gardens, and we have 

 recommended throughout this little book precisely what we 

 have ourselves practised. The laying out of gardens forms an 

 important feature, and landscape gardening, reduced almost to 

 rules which everyone can understand, occupies a considerable 

 portion. We have endeavoured to condense the matter as 

 much as possible, to give full effect to the instructions; — there 

 are certainly no more words than are necessary to convey our 

 meaning. As a branch of gardening especially belonging to 

 young beginners, we have given some highly useful hints upon 

 the operations which more particularly belong to florists' 

 flowers, the principal of which are treated of in a plain and 

 practical manner, so as to enable even a youth to undertake 

 their cultivation. 



