PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION. 



In nearly all of the recent works of this nature, appearing 

 in America, the subjects dealt with have been confined, more 

 or less, to those plants that can be and are cultivated by 

 commercial florists for profit, or by those who own conserva- 

 tories. And while the present book includes all this class of 

 information it has a far wider scope, treating, as it does, on 

 the care and management of a diversity of plants not touched 

 upon by other writers, all equally necessary in the adornment 

 of our gardens and homes and, for this purpose, as beautiful 

 and interesting as those that generally receive the greatest at- 

 tention from authors of most horticultural works. Divested 

 of superfluous verbiage, and shorn of perplexing technicalities 

 which tend to confuse, the cultural directions here given can 

 be easily and successfully followed, the results contributing to 

 the perfect enjoyment of "the purest of human pleasures/' by 

 some, and affording to others a lucrative occupation. 



What I have given here are teachings gleaned and sifted 

 from the experience of many years' work as a gardener. The 

 methods described are such as have been successfully prac- 

 ticed by me and can be safely relied on as up-to-date and 

 thoroughly applicable to American conditions and requirements. 



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