Vlll 



PREFACE 



neighbourhood of Paris. Hence the appearance of 

 this volume. The subject has been considered from a 

 commercial gardener's point of view, the main object 

 being to give reliable information on a subject that is 

 now attracting great attention, not only throughout 

 the British Isles, but in the United States and Canada. 

 French gardens in England and around Paris have 

 been visited, and the best French authorities on the 

 subject have been consulted. Chief amongst these 

 are the works of MM. Court ois-Gerard, Cure, and 

 Potrat all of which deal more or less exhaustively 

 with the " culture maraichere." I have also made 

 frequent reference to Mr. Robinson's Parks and 

 Gardens of Paris, and I am under still further ob- 

 ligation to the author of that work for the use of many 

 of the woodcuts in this volume which he has generously 

 placed at my disposal. In addition he has honoured 

 me by writing an " Introduction " bearing directly 

 upon a subject in which he has been personally in- 

 terested for so many years. The other illustrations, 

 apart from my own diagrams, have been kindly 

 supplied by MM. Vilmorin, of Paris. 



My best thanks are due to Mr. George Schneider, 

 President of the French Horticultural Society in 

 London ; to MM. Aquatias and Lecoq, formerly of 

 May land ; and to M. Adolphe Beck, the pioneer of 

 French gardeners in England, for the information 

 they so readily gave me on many points. 



In regard to the names of the different varieties of 

 vegetables and salads mentioned in this work, the 

 French names as well as the recognised English names 

 have been given in most cases, in the hope that it may 

 prove a convenience. 



JOHN WEATHERS. 



