PREFACE. IX 



exports. Happily for our country, the clouds of ignorance 

 Bnd prejudice are fast vanishing from the horizon, and the 

 period is not very distant, when ihe far-famed wines of Medoc, 

 of Champagne, of Burgundy, Madeira, and the Cape, will 

 have to cope with those of RepubHcan America. 



The culture of silk having also recently attracted much 

 interest, great pains have been taken to obtain from the south 

 of France and Italy, and also from more northern climes, 

 those varieties of the Mulberry which experience has found 

 most beneficial for this object; among these is the TartU' 

 rian^ whicli is found to succeed in the most northern cli- 

 mates, and the Ch'mese^ wiih very large foliage, and of so 

 recent introduction from that country, that it is as yet found 

 but in few collections in France. 



As it is the ardent desire of the proprietor to obtain from 

 foreign countries seeds of all the most interesting trees, 

 shrubs, a!)d plants, he solicits all the scientific and liberal 

 minded persons throughout the world to forward to him, or 

 to either of t!ie agents of his establishment, small parcels of 

 such fresh seeds as it may be in their power to obtain, and 

 at as early a period as possible after they are collected — and 

 he proposes to reciprocate every polite attention of the kind, 

 by a return cTsuch seeds or plants as he m^y deem most in- 

 teresting and* acceptable to them. Roots of rare bulbous 

 iiowers will also be particularly acceptable, especially those 

 uhich are natives of warmer climates, and which, by being 

 packed in close boxes filled up with fresh sand, may be trans- 

 ported with perfect safety. 



The proprietor cannot conclude his prefatory remarks 

 without acknowledging his obligations to a great nuniber of 

 gentlemen for their liberal contributions to the establishment, 

 which have been more numerous the past than any previous 

 year. To enumerate every one whose kind offices have been 

 thus tendered, w^ould iiere take too enlarged a space; but in 

 describing the various productions in the works which will 

 l)e hereafter published, due credit will be awarded to those 

 who have contributed them. 



It nriust be obvious to every one, that an establishment so 

 extensive cannot be supported without immense expend!- 

 tures ; to meet which, a great dependence has to be placed 

 on the sales of its productions. The proprietor therefore 

 cannot be indifferent to the extension of that patronage which 

 has been hitherto so liberally tendered to him. Such testi- 

 monials of the approbation of his fellow citizens, and of their 



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