PREFACE 



TO THE ENGLISH EDITION 



Ar the present time, when the number of books dealing 

 with alpine gardening is increasing rapidly, some 

 word of explanation may appear necessary, some excuse, 

 as it were, for offering an additional one to the public. 

 The translator himself thinks, it is true, that it is 

 sufficient to mention the name of the author, N[. H. 

 Correvon, by universal consent the greatest living 

 authority upon the subject. The original French edition, 

 also, was received with the fullest approval by our 

 Horticultural Press, and a hope expressed that an 

 English translation would not be long delayed. It will 

 be found, too., on examination that the scope of the work 

 differs considerably from that of those hitherto published. 

 The author has addressed himself to a wider range of 

 readers not merely, that is, to those who cultivate the 

 mountain flora in gardens at home, but also to those who 

 travel in Switzerland with eyes open to one of the 

 greatest of that country's charms. 



The two classes are inter-dependent. As the number 

 of alpine gardeners increases, so do more and more 

 tourists find an interest in gathering the blossoms or in 

 collecting the roots of alpine flowers. All true lovers of 

 their beauty, therefore, will be grateful for the pages, 

 which N[. Correvon has given to the acclimatisation of 

 mountain plants ; the whole ground is covered, from a 



