PREFACE. 



Vll 



the green-house stage, or open garden platform, according to 

 their natural affinities. Let us not be thought dogmatic in 

 advising every master to insist on his gardener's adopting it 

 as far as circumstances vi^ill allow. Whoever understands a 

 httle of the natural system will find few difficulties; — but the 

 prejudices of those who do not, will start thousands of obsta- 

 cles. — Still, let the master insist on trying the plan; a 

 thousand difficulties are often as easily overcome as they are 

 created, — they lie chiefly in the mind, — and those minds 

 which are prejudiced must be brought over by a counter- 

 prejudice if they are very ignorant, or by reasoning if they 

 are a little enlightened. The idea of natural arrangements 

 is too new to be generally approved of, but it will soon be- 

 come as familiar to the British gardener as the Linnsean 

 system. Sweet's "Catalogue" has marked out the road, 

 which will be formed and completed by Dr. Hooker's " Sys- 

 tem," and Loudon's '^Encyclopaedia" of Plants. These 

 works will establish and confirm our humble efforts ; in the 

 meantime, we recommend the master to call in his gardener, 

 and point out to him Part I. Chap. IL sect. 6, and the In- 

 troduction to Part IL Let him thoroughly ponder what is 

 there said, and afterwards they may come out to the green- 

 house, where they will find us ready to show them how the 

 thing may actually be done. 



London^ June 24, 1824. 



