PREFACE. V 



The different departments consisting of Fruit Trees of all 

 the various kinds — Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, esteemed 

 for their flowers, foliage, or fruit — Herbaceous Flowerings 

 and Medicinal Plants — Bulbous and Tuberous Rooted 

 Flowers, Green-house Trees and Plants, and American Indi- 

 genous Trees and Plants, have each been objects of unremit- 

 ted attention. 



The immense losses which have frequently occurred by* 

 plants decaying and dying on the voyage of importation,, 

 have caused the disbursements in this way to be very great ; 

 the same plant has, in some instances, been imported the 

 twentieth time before it survived, and thousands of dollars 

 have been expended in importations and experiments, from 

 which no pecuniary benefits have been derived. It has also 

 been necessary to import a very extensive variety, in order 

 to make the proper selection of those kinds Avhich were 

 most congenial to our climate ; and the present collection of 

 fruits is the result of much investigation, and is selected 

 from a very large number, a portion of which had to be re- 

 jected on account of their indifference in quality, the small 

 quantity they yielded, or their unsuitableness to our climate. 

 It is, therefore, not without great exertions, attended with an 

 immense expense, that the collection has been increased 

 to its present extent, and many species have been added, 

 which, from being objects of curiosity alone, or held in esteem 

 only as they regard science, yield no remuneration. 



The number of gardeners employed throughout the sum- 

 mer season averages rather less than 40, but at some pe- 

 riods has exceeded that number. In England, their most 

 extensive Nurseries ha\*e a large portion of their grounds 

 occupied in rearing seedling forest trees for timber planta- 

 tions, which culture consequently renders a great space of 

 ground and much laboTir necessary there, for what v.ould 

 here be deem.ed absolutely useless. Most truly may it be said, 

 that the aggrandizement of the establishment has been con- 

 ducted v/ith a great degree of national pride, and that the 

 disregard to pecuniary sacrifices in the immense disburse- 

 ments which have indispensably occurred, has been inter- 

 woven with that ^^ pride of country ^^ which has sought, by 

 unceasing exertion, to keep pace with the rising destinies of 

 our republic — until, in fact, the continued efforts made by 

 several generations of the same family have been crowned 

 with the most complete success; and the entire collection is 

 now presented to the world as unrivalled in value by those 



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