EDITOR'S NOTE 



THIS volume is the first of a series of handbooks which 

 will deal from a purely practical stand-point with the 

 culture of the various fruits, vegetables and flowers 

 which are grown or might advantageously be grown in 

 English gardens. An attempt will be made by the 

 writers of the various books to sift the advice of tradi- 

 tion, and only to recommend such treatment as recent 

 science has suggested or recent experience confirmed. 

 These books will not attempt to compete with the many 

 volumes often very charming and beautiful volumes 

 which have been written on the poetic aspect of gardens 

 and gardening. Their aim, on the contrary, will be to 

 provide the instruction necessary in order that useful 

 and beautiful gardens may be created. To others will 

 be left the work of expressing their appreciation of the 

 products and pictures thus obtained. 



The authors of the volumes to be issued in the 

 series will be selected not so much for any literary 

 ability which they may possess as for their practical 

 knowledge and especially for their practical experience. 

 Mr Charles Ilott, the writer of most of that part of the 

 present book which deals with cultivation, has for forty 

 years been engaged in the practical study and culture 

 of the vegetables on which he now writes. As one of 

 Messrs Sutton's experts, he had peculiar opportunity 

 of gathering knowledge of certain branches of garden- 

 ing, the value of which cannot be over-estimated. 

 Recently he has been engaged by the County Council of 

 Cornwall in experimenting on a large scale with a view to 



xi 



