viii PREFACE 



the subject is as inexhaustible as it is 

 interesting, and it seems to me to be 

 regretted that, considering how much ad- 

 miration members of my profession have for 

 flowers, so few of them have written any- 

 thing on the subject. 



I am sorry to say that, besides my own, 

 I believe no artist's name appears on the 

 list of Fellows of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society. It would, I am convinced, greatly 

 benefit the Society if a number of artists 

 joined it as Fellows, and one or two of 

 them were called upon annually to assist 

 in judging the plants and awarding the 

 prizes. 



I take this opportunity of sincerely thank- 

 ing all those kind friends 'who have helped 

 to add interest to these letters by allow- 

 ing me to make use of their instructive 

 communications. 



RIVERSIDE, WALLINGFORD, 1896. 



