THE 



SUBURBAN HORTICULTURIST. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Having in a twin volume* treated of Gardening as an Art of 

 Design and Taste, our object in the present work is to complete the 

 subject of Suburban Residences, by treating of Gardening as an Art 

 of Culture. We shall consider ourselves as writing for grown up 

 pupils who have previously known little of the subject ; and we shall 

 embrace all that we think will be useful to the possessors of small 

 gardens, whether in town or country, at home or abroad, and whether 

 they belong to the retired citizen, the clergyman, the farmer, the 

 mechanic, the labourer, the colonist, or the emigrant. 



The possessor of a garden may desire to know the science and the 

 art of its cultivation, for several reasons. He may wish to know 

 whether it is properly cultivated by his gardener ; he may wish to 

 direct its culture himself ; he may desire to know its capabilities of 

 improvement or of change ; he may wish to understand the principles 

 on which the different operations of culture are performed, as a source 

 of mental interest ; or he may wish to be able to perform the opera- 

 tions himself, as a source of recreation and health. The last two are by 

 far the most important purposes which this volume is intended to 

 serve ; and hence we shall give, as far as we find practicable, the 

 philosophy of every operation of culture, as well as practical directions 

 for the manner in which it should be performed. Some topics we shall 

 illustrate by Notes, in an Appendix at the end of the work, and all 

 the technical terms will be found explained in the General Index. 



We shall commence with some preliminary chapters on Plants, 

 Soils, Manures, and the Operations common to all the departments of 

 garden cultivation ; and we shall next treat, in succession, of the kitchen 

 and fruit garden, the forcing garden, the flower garden, the shrubbery, 

 and the pleasure grounds, including the ornamental plantations. 



* The Suburban Architect and Landscape-Gardener. 1839. 1 vol. 8vo. 



B 



