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PREFACE 



SINCE Loudon published his great work, about seventy-five years ago, no 

 book in English dealing comprehensively with the trees and shrubs 

 hardy and cultivated in Britain has been published. During that 

 period an enormous number of new species have become available for 

 cultivation through the labours of collectors like William Lobb in Chile 

 and California, Hartweg and Jeffrey in Western N. America, J. G. Veitch 

 and Maries in Japan, Fortune and Wilson in China. The present work 

 is an attempt to bring together brief descriptions of all the species and 

 more important varieties of hardy woody plants established in cultivation, 

 with notes on their distinctive characters, garden value, and culture. It 

 is hoped that it may prove of use to the numerous amateurs, country 

 gentlemen, and landowners who are interested in shrubs and trees, also 

 to nurserymen, park superintendents, and to professional gardeners. 



The great accession of Chinese plants during the last fourteen years 

 has made the task a much more difficult one. Many of the plants 

 introduced by Wilson are as yet unidentified, and the hardiness and 

 garden value also of a great number have not yet been definitely 

 ascertained. Still, most of the earlier introduced ones have been dealt 

 with, also those of later introduction that have flowered and been 

 identified. 



The question of nomenclature is always a vexed one. The only 

 thing certain is, that it is impossible to please everyone. With regard 

 to generic names, I have endeavoured to be as conservative as possible. 

 When botany was largely under, the influence of the Hookers and 

 Bentham in England, and of Asa Gray in America, the tendency was 

 towards the reduction of genera and species. There is no doubt the 

 process was carried too far. The merging, for instance, of Mespilus with 

 Pyrus, Pterostyrax with Ha/esia, Maackia with Cladrastis was not 



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