viii PREFACE 



must take the opportunity to acknowledge my great 

 indebtedness to the Librarians of the India Office and of 

 the Kew Herbarium for the limitless facilities afforded 

 me in consulting the numerous works, not recorded in the 

 official ledgers, and for thus having greatly enhanced 

 the value of the historic details. The primary objects 

 kept in view have been to restrict observation to what 

 concerns India, and to make the work of practical value 

 to the Commerce and Industry of that country. 



GEOEGE WATT. 

 Kew Gardens, July 1908. 



