INTRODUCTION 



The object of this work is to give a complete account of all the trees which grow 

 naturally or are cultivated in Great Britain, and which have attained, or seem likely 

 to attain, a size which justifies their being looked on as timber trees ; but does not 

 include those which are naturally of shrubby or bushy habit. 



Although sixty years have passed since Loudon's great work was published, no 

 book has been written which describes in full the species which in his time were 

 unknown, or so recently introduced that their cultural requirements and economic 

 or ornamental value had not been tested. 



Many deciduous trees, which were commonly planted before his time, have 

 gone out of popular favour, and are almost forgotten ; whilst the rage for conifers 

 which sprang up about seventy years ago has led to the introduction of almost every 

 species which can be grown in this country ; and many of these have now reached 

 an age at which their value can be accurately judged of 



Special books dealing with conifers have appeared which may satisfy the wants 

 of a horticulturist, but none exists that at all meets the requirements of land- 

 owners, foresters, and arboriculturists, and will enable them to distinguish the species 

 with certainty, or guide them in selecting the species the best suited for economic 

 culture in different parts of England. 



Forestry is at last making headway as a science in this country, but too many 

 of the books recently published on the subject have been based on continental 

 experience, which is not directly applicable to the very different conditions of 

 climate, soil, labour, and market existing here. In the cultural part of the work 

 we base our conclusions on home experience and practice ; and in this connection 

 it may be stated that for almost every exotic species there are older specimens of 

 individual trees and of plantations in these islands than on the Continent. After 

 having seen the trees of every country in Europe, of nearly all the States of North 

 America, of Canada, Japan, China, West Siberia, and Chile, we confidently assert 

 that these islands contain a greater number of fine trees from the temperate regions 

 of the world than any other country. Descriptions of the best examples of all of 

 these and of interesting woods and plantations will be a prominent feature of 

 the book. 



We have the special qualification that we have seen with our own eyes and 

 studied on the spot, both at home and abroad, most of the trees which will be 

 included in the book. 



XV 



