PREFACE. 



gentle declivities stands the village of Flushmg, ana 

 here the Linnaean Garden is situated, at a distance of 

 out twelve miles from the Ocean, three from the Sound, 

 or East River, and ten from the city of New- York — > 

 between which and the village two stages and a sailing 

 packet go and return daily, affording conveyances the 

 most convenient and pleasurable to such citizens as de- 

 %5h in a rural retreat during the verdant season. The 

 veaerable founder, after having acquired for his garden 

 an extensive fame, died in the year 1802, at an ad- 

 vanced age, leaving his sons in the possession of his 

 50 Section ; one of which is the present proprietor, and 

 who has, at a great expense, imported from almost 

 every country in Europe, and also from Asia and Africa, 

 such trees and plants as were best calculated to im- 

 prove and ornament the Orchard, the Garden, and the 

 Green-house* 



The immense losses which have frequently occurred 

 by plants rotting and dying on the voyage of importa- 

 tion, 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 

 housands of doliars have been expended in importa- 

 tions and experiments, from which no pecuniary benefits 

 have been derived. It has also been necessary to im- 

 port a very extensive variety, in order to make the 

 proper selection of those kinds which were most con- 

 genial 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 

 rejected on account of their indifference in quality, the 

 small quantity they yielded, or their unsuitableness to 

 our climate. It is, therefore, not without great exer- 

 tions, attended with an immense expense, that the col- 

 lection has been increased to about 4.000 species and 

 varieties, many of which, from being objects of curiosity 

 alone, or held in esteem only as they regard science, 

 yield no remuneration. ♦ 



As medical practice is so nearly connected with the 

 science of Botany, it is the desire of the proprietor to 



