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PREFACE. 



THE Link JEAN Botanic Garden was regularly established 

 about the middle of the last century, by William 

 Prince, the father of the present proprietor, at a time when 

 there were few or no establishments of the kind in thiscoun^ 

 try. A nursery of considerable extent had been formed 

 by his uncle, long previous, but it remained for his successor 

 to establish it on a more regular and extended basis, by im- 

 portations from foreign climes, and by a concentration of the 

 vaijousacquisiiions our own country offered, his catalogues, 

 published at that early period, comprised several hundred 

 very choice species and varieties, and hence arose the first 

 extensive fruit collection in America. At that time the 

 study of Botany received but little attention in our country, 

 and the labours of the great Linnaeus had not yet shone upon 

 the world, although his diligent researches in the great field 

 of science were not unknown to the favoured few who were 

 honoured with his correspondence. Almost the only aid, 

 therefore, v/hich the founder of this garden possessed, ta, 

 enable him to develope the great Book of Nature, was de-> 

 rived from his own persevering genius and assiduity.. 



Practical horticulture being at that day quite a novelty in 

 America, his garden early attracted the notice of persons of 

 taste and science, and from it were disseminated throughout 

 Europe, at a very early period, a large number of the ve- 

 getable productions of the western world. The Sound, or 

 East River, about eight miles above the city of New-York, 

 throws an arm into Long-Island, to the distance of six miles^ 

 and forms what is denominated " Flushing Bay." At the 

 head of this beautiful Bay lies a wide expanse of meadows, 

 around w^hich arises an amphitheatre of gently undulating 

 hills. On one of these gentle declivities stands the village 

 of Flushing, and here the Linn^ean Garden is situated, at a 

 distance of but twelve miles from the Ocean, three from, 

 the Sound or East River^ and nine from the city of New- 

 York-^between which and the village, a steam boat and 

 several stages go and return twice daily, affording convey- 

 ances the most convenient and pleasurable to such citizens 

 as delight in a rural retreat during the verdant season^ 



