PREFACE. 



THE Proprietors of THE GARDENING WORLD having decided to issue a series 

 of popular books on subjects directly connected with gardening, and which, 

 while published at popular prices, shall be of an essentially practical and 

 useful character, we selected as the subject for the first volume of the 

 series the Tuberous-rooted Begonia, first, on account of its remarkably 

 popular character as a garden flower, and secondly, because we felt there 

 was a want of a useful guide to its cultivation and further improvement. 

 As to how far in the present treatise we have met that want, we must 

 leave the generous flower-loving public to decide. 



While aiming in the main to be practical, we have endeavoured to give 

 some additional interest to the "work by recording so much of the history 

 of the modern Begonia as we have been able to glean, and though very 

 imperfect as this portion of our subject undoubtedly is, we would fain hope 

 that it may prove of some value as a basis for a record more completely 

 worthy of the subject. For many of the facts relating to the history of the 

 earlier varieties, and for the whole of the illustrations of the same, we are 

 indebted to the courtesy of Messrs. James Veitch and Sons, to whom the 

 honour belongs of having laid the foundation of a race of plants which Mr. Laing 

 and others have brought to such marvellous perfection. To Messrs. Cannell and 

 Sons our thanks are also due for the use of several of the woodcuts which 

 we have selected to illustrate some of the modejn types of the flower ; and we 

 desire also to tender our best thanks to Mr. W. E. Gumbleton one of the 

 first amateurs to recognise the merits of "the coming flower" for many 

 valuable hints ; and to Mr. B. C. Ravenscroft, for the cultural articles 

 which constitute the greater portion of the work. 



B. W. 



JULY, 1888. 



