INTRODUCTION. XXV 



dener, am competent to the task which I have 

 professed to undertake : however, with all 

 due deference, I beg to state, that I have no 

 where been able to meet with that account of 

 those flowers, and their management, which 

 I from my own knowledge and experience 

 would be induced to adopt and follow, as a 

 manual or directory because the directions 

 given are too vague, general, and defective, 

 to be reduced to practice ; in many cases, also, 

 I have found them quite contrary to the nature 

 and habits of the plants they profess to treat of. 

 Besides, the work of any writer on the flower- 

 garden, whose inmates are now almost with- 

 out number, however skilful and experienced 

 he might be, if he were to attempt to give 

 plain, clear, and practical directions for the 

 culture of each flower separately, that is 

 worthy of his notice, would be both too ex- 

 pensive to be obtained generally, as well as 



b 



