xxn 



PREFACE. 



diflant from the houfe, and well difpofed, imift afford during 

 fcA^cral of our winter months, would be the higheft prefumption 

 and vanity : Therefore I fliall only obferve, that I cannot help 

 looking on it as a capital defeft in our elegant and extended de- 

 igns, that no attention is paid to a circumftance fo conducive to 

 health, and producSlive of pleafure. 



Having endea.voured to avoid extending this Treatife to any 

 uimeceffary length, in the catalogues of the plants I have only 

 given the diflerent fpecies, their commonly received names in 

 England and Scotland, their botanical chara<fters being univer- 

 faliy known to the Learned, and of no ufe to the young and illi- 

 terate gardener, but in fome cafes might more probably perplex 

 and confufe him, and, till he is a little advanced in the know- 

 ledge of Botany, rather expofe his ignorance, than eftabiifh 

 his reputation for judgment. 



In like manner I have abridged the catalogues of many 

 authors, fome of whom have wrote without experience of what 

 they recommend, and others, either more ignorant or defigning, 

 have given or created different names to the fame plant. This, 

 I can honeftly affure my readers, I have carefully guarded againft. 

 The fpecies I have mentioned are diftin6l, and I have recom- 

 mended none but thofe that from experience I believed worthy 

 of it. 



Th e common tifes and virtues of the timber of fuch trees as 

 are not frequently cut down with us, I have principally taken 

 from Mr Evelyn, as Mr Miller had done before me ; but to thefe 

 I have added other well-attefled circumflances relating to them. 



