INTRODUCTION. 



lection in these islands, including every botanic garden 

 therein ; have visited the Alps specially to see alpine flowers 

 in a wild state ; I have had considerable experience with 

 them in a cultivated state, and the best I can do for the 

 present is herein embodied. Some of the matter first 

 appeared in the ' Field,' the ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' and 

 other journals, iri which I have for some years past pleaded 

 the cause of these and like subjects. 



My heartiest thanks are due to Mr. James Backliouse, of 

 York, for many pleasant days spent in his unrivalled collec- 

 tion, for the opportunity of taking sketches of various parts 

 of his rock-garden, and for an excellent contribution on the 

 formation of rockwork ; to Mr. James Atkins, of Painswick, 

 who kindly placed at my disposal the results of his long study 

 and great knowledge of Cyclamens, and for much valued 

 information on other alpine plants ; to Mr. J. C. Niven, of 

 Hull, who wrote the article on Drabas, and to whose most 

 extensive collection I have had thepleasure of paying several 

 visits ; to Mr. Thomas Moore, for his excellent advice as 

 regards this and other books of mine, and for a selection 

 of ferns most likely to succeed in exposed places; to Sir 

 Charles Isham, for photographs of various plants growing 

 on his rockwork ; to Mr. J. A. Watson, of Geneva, for great 

 kindness in guiding me to several very interesting localities 

 in the neighbourhood of that city ; and to many others. 



A word in explanation of the non-appearance of this 

 book a year ago, as announced. It was to have been my 

 first book ; but I was unwillingly obliged to forsake it for a 

 time to confute the arguments and counteract the effects 

 of the prejudices of various pers.ons, who endeavoured to 

 discredit my statements as to the decided superiority of 

 the French in some branches of horticulture of great public 



b 



