AMATEXTES AND GAEDENEES. 



HANDY BOOK 



OF 



FLOWER-GARDEN. 



BEING PLAIN PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS 

 FOR THE 



PEOPAGATION, CULTURE, AND ARRANGEMENT OF 

 PLANTS IN FLOWER-GARDENS 

 ALL THE YEAR ROUND. 



By DAVID THOMSON, 



Late of Arclierfield and Dirleton G-ardeiis ; 

 And now Gardener to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch at Dnimlanrig, 



In crown 8vo, price 7s. 6d. 



EXTRACTS FROM REVIEWS. 



"This is essentially a book for amateurs, and every amateur who is fortunate enough to be its 

 possessor, or who may merely skim over its pages, will, we are assured, agree with us in regarding 

 its author as being entitled to great praise for the simple and clear manner in which he has ex- 

 plained the cultural directions, which, if carefully complied with, Avill enable the non-professional 

 floriculturist to grow plants as well as any gardener." — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



" In conclusion, I will commend to all your readers an admirable work which has just been 

 published by Mr David Thomson, of Archerfield, and which contains excellent practical directions 

 for the propagation, 'culture, and arrangement of plants in flower-gardens all the year round. Such 

 a manual has been long wanted, and the right man is in the right place as its author." — S. R. H. 

 in Gardeners' Chronicle. 



" There are some men who never write upon any subject unless they perceive that relative 

 information is needed, and that they possess such information. Mr Thomson is one of those men, 

 and the consequence is that the book before us is thoroughly good. . . . It is a practical 

 volume, which we recommend to our readers without any reservation."— Jowr?ia? of Horticulture. 



"As this is written by one of the best gardeners in the country, and one, moreover, thoroughly 

 master of the modern system of decoration, it deserves more attention than any book published 

 on this or allied subjects of recent years. . . . We are acquainted with the results produced 

 by the able author, as well as with his book, and can therefore pronounce the book the best on 

 the subject yet written, or likely to be written for a long time to come."— TAe Field. 



"In times when, in gardening as in all else, fashion is everything, and old favourites have small 

 chance of esteem in comparison with new fancies and fandangles, it is a great thing to get liberal 

 and comprehensive views from one who is thoroughly master of his art, and to get them, too, in a 

 handy form. . . . One or two recent works on landscape and architectural gardening are 

 fairly portable and compendious; but on "flower-gardens" a manual of modern dimensions has 

 been much wanted ; that is to say, a hona fide manual by a practical man, having sympathies with 

 his vocation, and of sufficient standing therein to claim the attention both of amateurs and pro- 

 fessionals. Such a want is supplied by Mr David Thomson."— Saiwrrfay Review. 



" One of the very few books of its kind in which the amateur, instead of being overwhelmed by 

 details, has the principles which are to guide him put plainly and clearly before him, so that he 

 may be able to think and judge for himself." — Pall Mall Gazette. 



" This work appears to be one of the most complete, intelligible, and tasteful that has appeared 

 on the fascinating subject of flower-gardening. " — Inverness Courier, 



" The production of one of the best and most practical writers of the present day on gardening 

 subjects." — Scotsman. 



" We have seen enough of it to be able to say that the author's reputation must be advanced by 

 it, for he has done nothing hitherto more worthy of praise, though one of the soundest, both in 

 thought and fact, of all horticultural writers." — Gardeners' Magazine. 



FOR 



THE 



WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, Edinburgh and London. 



