I. IN THE WORK. 



situation, and also upon the nature of the ground : for, 

 in some ground, you may safely sow a fortnight earlier ; 

 and, in other ground, a fortnight Inter, than the fit season 

 for sowing in the general run of ground. Nevertheless, 

 this Kalendar is of great use in all cases j because, with- 

 out it, many pieces of necessary work would be wholly 

 omitted. The performance of them would be put off to 

 a season so late, that to perform them would be of no 

 use at all. 



9. In the writing of this book, I shall proceed upon 

 the principle, or, rather, the admitted assumption, that 

 the reader is wholly unacquainted with all the matters of 

 which it will treat. On the same principle I have pro- 

 ceeded, in my three grammars ; in my Cottage Economy j 

 in my Woodlands j and in every work in which I have 

 attempted to teach any thing. Experience has taught me 

 the necessity of proceeding in this way; for, when I 

 have had to apply to books to be my teachers, I have in- 

 variably found that the authors proceed upon the notion 

 that the reader only wanted a little teaching ; that he un- 

 derstood a great part of the subject, and only wanted in- 

 formation relative to that part which the author happened 

 to think of the greatest importance. By looking on the 

 reader as knowing nothing at all about the matter, the 

 author is led to tell all that he knows, This can do 

 gardeners, and gentlemen who have studied something of 

 gardening, no harm ; while it must be good, and even; 

 necessary, to those who have never had an opportunity of 

 paying close attention to the matter. I make no apology 

 for the minuteness with which I shall give my instruc- 

 tions ; for my business is to teach that which I know 5 



