lv PREFACE. 



felt by those engaged in the care of the Society's concerns. 

 This liberality of feeling will be best shewn, by referring to 

 the number of persons in those classes, which are to be found 

 not only amongst the Fellows of the Society, but also amongst 

 the contributors to the present Volume. To the liberal views 

 of the Society, and to the disinterestedness of their practice, 

 they owe this feeling of unity. The acquisitions which they 

 are continually making, are not reserved, through selfish mo- 

 tives, for themselves, but are either at once distributed to 

 the Nurserymen, or propagated in their own Garden with 

 the view to their future distribution to the public through 

 the same channels; by which means it is hoped the kingdom 

 at large will obtain them with the greatest facility and cor- 

 rectness. 



The unexampled rapidity with which the Society has in- 

 creased in numbers, rendered it absolutely necessary to pro- 

 vide such apartments, as might be sufficiently commodious 

 for transacting their business, and a spacious room in which 

 their meetings might be held with more convenience than 

 formerly. The House, with its adjoining room, which they 

 now occupy, presented itself, and they are happy to say that 

 its favourable situation, and general convenience for the pur- 

 poses of the Society, leave them nothing more to wish for on 

 this head. 



Another object, to which the attention of the Society has 

 been, and still is directed, is the formation of an Horticultu- 

 ral Library of reference, for the use of the Members gene- 

 rally. To render this as perfect as possible, no pains will 



