PKEFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 



SINCE the issue of the former Edition of this work, cir- 

 cumstances have occurred affecting matters of gardening 

 in India, which I feel called upon to notice. Lower 

 Bengal has been visited by two violent cyclones, which 

 have caused devastation in all gardens public and 

 private, and destroyed, either entirely or nearly so, 

 many of the plants I had described. Now upon this 

 account merely, I have not seen the necessity of alter- 

 ing what was already written respecting them. My 

 object was to describe them such as I had known them 

 to exist and thrive in this country, and this object 

 would not be affected by any accident that might sub- 

 sequently befall them. Upon the same consideration I 

 let remain what I had stated respecting plants in the 

 gardens of the Agri -Horticultural Society ; although 

 on the ground being reclaimed by Government, the 

 plants have no existence there now. 



On the other hand, again, many new plants have, 

 within these two or three years past been introduced, 

 of which I have not had the opportunity of gaining 



