INTRODUCTION 



countries without many of their now ordinary inhabitants, 

 yet it is within the memory of living men that Lilium 

 a.uratum and .Ampelopsis Veitchii (Vitis inconstans) were 

 Unknown- t'd : ame but two of many hundreds of plants, and 

 knt "sjxt j years ;since Conifers with certain few exceptions 

 were little more than rarities. 



Gardening, as understood to-day, in its broadest aspects, 

 was not possible : the material was not available. 



The commencement of the nursery business of the firm of 

 Veitch was on a limited scale, but records exist that Mr. John 

 Veitch, who came from Jedburgh, Scotland, to enter the 

 employ of Sir Thomas Acland at Killerton, Devon, held land, 

 presumably for nursery purposes, in 1808. 



His work, as well as that of his son Mr. James Veitch senior, 

 seems to have been entirely in the neighbourhood of Exeter. 



There may be read in the Cottage Gardener of January 9th 

 1855 the following notice of Mr. James Veitch, the son of 

 the founder : 



" The history of botany furnishes us with several instances 

 of enterprising men, who devoted a large measure of their 

 means, or personal enterprise, to the enrichment of the botani- 

 cal collections of this country with the vegetable products 

 of foreign regions. To such men the present generation is 

 greatly indebted ; and thus it is that the names of the 

 Tradescants, Peter Collinson, Dr. Anderson, John Frazer, 

 James Lee and the Loddiges are so familiar to the minds and 

 the memories of all true lovers of botanical science. 



" For nearly half a century, however, that spirit of private 

 enterprise has, except in a few instances, given way to the 

 united efforts of corporate bodies and government officials ; 

 and it was not till the bold and energetic course which has 

 been pursued by a provincial nurseryman, of England was 



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