XVI INTRODUCTION. 



without which half their beauty and excel- 

 lence are lost or unseen. 



To the man of leisure and retirement, 

 horticulture is a pursuit at once rational and 

 atnusing ; it unites the ' utile dulci, ' and 

 gives health and recreation alike to the body 

 and the mind; the spade, the hoe, and the 

 rake, even in the hands of a gentleman, 

 degrade not, when used for such beneficial 

 ends. 



To the invalid and valetudinarian, as well 

 as to the sufferer from mental distress and 

 agony, it presents a solace and a balm that at 

 times seem to abate pain, and give to distress 

 the languid smile of pleasure. Females, both 

 young and old, derive the highest gratification 

 from the flower-garden in particular ; and the 

 more refined the taste, the more exquisite the 

 gratification. The vernal sun, in the morn- 

 ings of April and May, emits rays which 



