INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION. XIII 



English gardens is going on rapidly, and bi<ls fair to revo- 

 lutionize their whole practice of fruit-tree culture. 



D'Albret's great work on pruning is conceded to be the 

 best extant, on that subject. He was the pupil and suc- 

 cessor of M. Thouin, the world-renowned, vegetable physi- 

 ologist and founder of the great national gardens at Paris. 

 His practice is founded upon the true principles of vege- 

 table physiology, and strengthened by long years of the 

 most minute and successful experiment. 



M. Dubreuil, late conductor of the fruit department in 

 the Garden of Rouen, has also published an excellent 

 treatise on arboriculture ; and there are many other French 

 works on the subject, all showing how thoroughly the 

 science is there understood, and how minutely and skil- 

 fully its principles are dealt with. All these, as well as 

 the best managed gardens, and the most perfect and beau- 

 tiful trees in France and Belgium, have been carefully 

 studied. 



The knowledge thus acquired, added to the experience 

 of many years' actual and extensive practice, constitutes 

 the basis of the course recommended. 



The same minute detail that characterizes European 

 works has not been attempted, yet much detail is abso- 

 lutely necessary, in order to prevent misapprehension on 

 the part of those wholly inexperienced. 



Writers are apt to treat simple matters too much in the \ 

 general, presuming them to be well understood. Detail 

 13 always tedious to those familiar with the subject, but 

 nothing less can be satisfactory to the student. ^ 



For the sake of convenient reference, the different 

 branches of the subject have been separated into four 

 parts. The first treats of general principles, a knowledge 

 of the structure, character, and functions of the different 

 parts of trees, modes of growth, bearing, etc., etc. ; soils, 

 manures, modes of propagation, etc. This must be the 

 groundwork of the study of tree culture. The seco)id 



