Niven*s Companion to tlie Glasnevin Botanic Garden. 383 



Though it is not permitted to us to give an opinion on the 

 manner in which we have executed this work, yet we may be 

 allowed briefly to state the objects we had in view. 



We have seen every tree and shrub that we have described, 

 with a very few exceptions; which only apply in the case of such 

 plants as have never been introduced ; or, if they have been in- 

 troduced, are now lost, or could not be found in this country by 

 us. In the description and history of every tree and shrub, we 

 have endeavoured to give the essence of all that has been written 

 before on the subject worth reading ; as well as to add whatever 

 information we possessed, or could procure otherwise than from 

 books, that we thought would be truly useful. 



The only circumstance that we regret is the high price of the 

 work ; but this we could not help. At all events, we gave gar- 

 deners a fair opportunity of purchasing it at a moderate rate, by 

 publishing it in Numbers at 2s. 6d. each ; and stating that, when 

 the work was completed, the numbers would be raised to 3s. 6d. 

 each, which is now the case for the separate numbers ; the price 

 of the entire work being 10/. 



Art. IIL The Visitor's Companion to the Botanic Garden, Glasnevin; 

 comprehending a General Outline of the Principles of botanical 

 Science, xvith Hints on Flouers, Fruit, Kitchen and Landscape 

 Gardening, 8^c.; also, Illustrations and popular Notices of various 

 Objects of Interest in the Garden. By Ninian Niven, Superinten- 

 dent of the Royal Dublin Society's Botanic Garden, &c. 12mo. 

 Dublin, 1838. 



The idea of producing such a book is, we think, excellent ; 

 because it will tend to spread a knowledge of the subjects of 

 which it treats. Mr. Niven justly observes, in his preface, that, 



" Of all public resorts, a scientific garden, when properly kept, will be 

 found not only one of the most delightful mediums for intellectual grati- 

 fication and amusement, but, also, one of the greatest of temporal blessings 

 that can be bestowed on a people. 



" To all classes of society, the rich and the poor, the old and the young, 

 the infirm invalid, or the robust and vigorous, the prince or the peasant, a 

 garden may be considered almost alike an object of interest, of instruction, 

 and amusement. It is a field which abounds with objects, that generally make 

 lasting impressions on the mind ; and, happily, there are but few, who, how- 

 ever unacquainted with the principles of botanical science, are not more or 

 less filled with admiration at the endless variety of form presented by any 

 considerable assemblage of the vegetable kingdom ; their grotesque trunks and 

 tapering stems ; their leaves, so varied in shape, and so beautiful in structure ; 

 their flowers, so curious in their parts, so diversified in colour, and often so 

 exquisitely fragrant. But, above all, how admirably adapted is each, not only 

 for the preservation of its own species, and the circumstances under which it 

 may be placed in its natural locality, but also by its wonderful adaptation, in 

 one way or another, for the use and gratification of man." 



