PREFACE 



The present volume is a revision of the book of 

 the same title written by my father, the late W. W. 

 Rawson, which ran through several editions. 



In 1907, a year before his death, my father fully 

 appreciated the fact that any further edition of 

 his work would have to be thoroughly revised in 

 many important details, especially with regard to 

 varieties of vegetables at present under cultivation. 

 With this in mind, he had actually started rewrit- 

 ing the book, doing it in a leisurely way as oppor- 

 tunity offered. It is a keen regret to me that he 

 did not live to complete his labours; death overtook 

 him before he had done much beyond making 

 a number of miscellaneous notes and amend- 

 ments. 



I have, therefore, undertaken this task of revi- 

 sion in a sense of filial duty and regard, allowing 

 as much as possible of my father's own manuscript 

 to appear in the present edition, which is offered 

 to present the most up-to-date methods of com- 



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