Vlll 



INTRODUCTION. 



to the culture : in fact, all practical matters 

 cannot be too plainly treated of. Were the 

 Writer disposed to be critical on this head, he 

 could point to instances where much very fine 

 language has been thrown away, in describing 

 one of our commonest apples ; but as this is 

 unnecessary, he has studiously avoided every 

 term, the import of which may not be under- 

 stood by the meanest capacity. For the same 

 reason, he has avoided all allusions to the 

 physiology of trees ; not only because the doc- 

 trines of that science are not very well defined, 

 but some of them actually contrary to nature. 

 For instance, what is said concerning the 

 autumnal descent of the sap, — a circum- 

 stance which the Author has never observed, 

 nor can he bring himself to believe ever takes 

 place. 



The book might have been much enlarged, 

 if the Author could have been persuaded to 

 have added opinions and practices borrowed 



