Ilntrobuction. 



the single flower) for the obvious reason that the blossoms of the one 

 are inconspicuous, and of the other so malodorous, they offer small 

 temptations to a near acquaintance, while both, are recompensed with 

 highly dec&rative berry-clusters. The drawings of the flowers are the 

 size of life ; in every possible instance the growth also is given without 

 reduction. 



That every flower-lover will find some favorites omitted, is alto- 

 gether probable, in a selection of three hundred individuals from among 

 the hosts which invite representation. The extreme dry weather of 

 the previous season must be held accountable for several noteworthy, 

 and much regretted, blanks in the list. 



The choice of botanical terms has been intentionally confined to 

 those which long usage has so wrought into the common speech that 

 they have practically ceased to belong to strictly scientific nomen- 

 clature. The floral families have been arranged in the order employed 

 in Gray's Manual ; the individual members of a genus, and of a family, 

 have been placed in their usual sequence of bloom, that the flower- 

 gatherer may know when to reasonably expect the successive blossom- 

 ing of any special set of plants. It is impossible however to be 

 arbitrarily definite in any such classification of Nature's methods. Nor 

 are we able to do more than to approximate accuracy in describing 

 color ; modifications, even direct contradictions, of the normal or usual 

 type are constantly discovered, which we may impute to variations in 

 soil or temperature, but whose appearance follows laws we dimly 

 apprehend. Of one thing only may we be sure : Nature tunes her 

 seemingly fickle choice to harmony, whatever the key; always there 

 remains a perfect adjustment of color between stalk and stem and leaf 



and blossom. 



vii 



