vi PREFACE. 



vant to fome of that noble family, who arc 

 all fo willing to encourage a perfon who 

 defires to improve his knowledge, that they 

 never defire he fhould be fo confined to la- 

 bour, as to prevent his making proper ob- 

 fervations on the works of nature. I now 

 enjoy the like happinefs under his grace's 

 brothers, by having the gardens of the right 

 honourable lord Robert and Charles Man- 

 ners committed to my care, under the di- 

 reftien of the right honourable lord James 

 Manners, who has mofl: leifure-time to 

 fpend that way, and is v^ry curious in his 

 obfervations. They are all exceeding good 

 matters 5 for, I receive all the encourage- 

 ment that one in my flation can reafon- 

 ably expeft, and as much as I deferve. 



It may be proper to obferve to my rea- 

 ders, that fruits do not ripen every year in 

 the fame months -, for fometimes they are 

 fourteen days earlier, fometimes as much 

 later than the times I have mentioned ; 

 as appears by my memorandums for the 

 years paft. Nor muft they be expe6led to 

 ripen in all parts of England alike, for 

 foils and climates make a confiderable dif- 

 ference ; for example, I have known, in 

 about two degrees difference of latitude, 



that 



