4 



PREFACE. 



misery ; and, so surely as the earth will bring forth 

 noxious weeds when left uncultivated, so surely will 

 one vice beget others ; which, if not eradicated, will 

 multiply to an alarming extent, until its victims be- 

 come a pest to civil society, and a disgrace to man- 

 kind. 



Now as happiness is preferable to misery, virtue to 

 vice, knowledge to ignorance, and order to confusion, 

 how important is it that those who make pretensions 

 to rationality, should employ their leisure hours in a 

 manner calculated to insure the greatest amount of 

 that which is intrinsically valuable. 



What subject can be better calculated to promote; 

 such a desideratum than the subject of cultivation 

 when viewed in all its bearings ? But as we are about 

 treating of Flowers, I would confine my ideas, as 

 nearly as possible, to the object in view ; trusting, that 

 while the hand is employed in cultivating the tran- 

 sient beauties of the Garden, that the attentive mind 

 will feast and fare daintily on the study of nature, and 

 in the end enrich itself with solid and lasting good. 

 As an excitement to such study, the following 

 thoughts are submitted. 



Nature in itself is beautiful, enchantingly beautiful, 

 but it is the province of man to adorn it ; to collect 



