INTRODUCTION. VII 



The author has experienced great difficulty in the 

 application of the word "hardy" to the various plants. 

 The extent of our country is so great, and the range 

 of temperature so varied, that it is impossible to fix 

 with certainty the exact locality where a plant ceases 

 to be hardy. Much also depends on situation and 

 exposure. 



Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, respectively, 

 each have many hardy plants which are winter-killed 

 farther north. The Liquidamber is hardy five miles 

 south of Boston, but is killed to the ground each win- 

 ter twenty-five miles north of the same city. Pyrus 

 Japonica stands well as a hedge-plant in Massachu- 

 setts, yet is winter-killed in western New York. These 

 instances might be multiplied a hundred-fold. 



Again : neighborhood to the sea has much to do 

 with the hardiness of plants, usually operating unfa- 

 vorably ; as also has the protection afforded by snow 

 in each winter. Thus it will be seen no rule of gen- 

 eral application can be laid down. Where a plant is 

 called " hardy," it may be taken as hardy in Massa- 

 chusetts, and, of course, southward ; though often some 

 species of such a plant may require frame protection. 

 In this the author has given the results of his own 

 experience and observation ; and, while he cannot 

 hope to have made no mistake, he trusts tho, experi- 



