PREFACE. 



The term Encyclopaedia, applied to a single art, is meant to convey 

 the idea of as complete a treatise on that art as can be composed at 

 the time of its publication. No art has been more extended in its 

 objects, or improved in its practices within the last fifty years than 

 Gardening. During that period numerous books have been written 

 in various departments of the subject ; but in no work has the whole 

 Art of Gardening been included. The only books which have any 

 pretensions to completeness are the Gardener's Dictionaries : but 

 though some of these are copious on the culture of plants, and 

 others, in botanical description ; yet in none is the subject of design, 

 taste, and the arrangement of gardens, adequately treated of; and 

 scarcely any thing is contained in these books, either on the History 

 or Statistics of Gardening. In the voluminous edition of Miller's Dic- 

 tionary, by Professor Martyn, though the title announces " the addi- 

 tion of all the modern improvements of landscape-gardening," there is 

 not an article bearing that title throughout the work ; nor a single 

 (juotation or abridgement from the writings of Wheatley, G. Mason, 

 Price, Repton, or any modern author, on the art of laying out 

 grounds. 



The Encyclopaedia of Gardening now submitted to the public 

 treats of every branch of the Art, and includes every modern im- 

 provement to the present year. 



Though this work, like every other of the kind, can only be consi- 

 dered as a compilation from books, yet, on various subjects, especially 

 in what relates to Gardening History and Statistics, it was found ad- 

 visable to correspond with a number of persons both at home and 

 abroad. The favours of these Correspondents are here thankfully 

 acknowledged ; and their farther assistance, as well as that of every 

 Reader willing to correct an error or supply a deficiency, is earnestly 

 entreated, in order to render any future edition of the work as per- 

 fect as possible. 



Besides modern books, it became necessary to consult some com- 

 paratively ancient and scarce works only to be met with in par- 

 ticular collections. Our respectful acknowledgments are, on this 



A 2 



