PREFACE 



TRUE to the name which it bears, this small volume 

 presents only the elementary principles of gar- 

 dening, its aim being to give these simply and, 

 at the same time, completely. To this end it ''begins 

 at the beginning," assuming that the student has no 

 knowledge whatsoever of the subject. 



The tables and formulas included have been care- 

 fully revised and brought up to the last moment of 

 scientific experiment, and the author's indebtedness to 

 the Department of Agriculture at Washington is here- 

 with gratefully acknowledged, particularly for draw- 

 ings of insects, from which the illustrations were re- 

 drawn. The nomenclature of Bailey's ''Cyclopedia 

 of American Horticulture'^ has been adhered to 

 throughout, 



