INTRODUCTION. 



It redounds very much to the general honour of the Britiih 

 nation, as well as to the particular credit of the Society for 

 the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, 

 and feveral other afrociations for the advancement of Agricul- 

 ture, &c. that the face of the country has, in the courfe of 

 the prefent century, received fo much improvement, and fuch 

 added beauty. 



The premiums and honorary marks of diftinction held 

 forth by thefe focieties have excited a fpirit of emulation, or 

 fuggefted a fpirit of improvement, among perfons of every 

 rank of life, which have been productive of many difcoveries 

 of no common benefit in their prefent effects, and of great 

 pro mile from their future confequences, to the community at 

 large. 



But, notwithstanding the .ft rides which modern agriculture 

 has made towards perfection in many points, there is one 

 particular and very int.erefting branch of this fcience which im- 

 provement has not yet embraced, viz. the growth of timber, 

 and the culture and management of plantations both of fruit 

 and for eft trees. 



The profefiion of a gardener has been the employment of 

 my life ; and, during a long fucceflion of years, it has been an 

 object of my particular ftudy to inveftigate and difcover the 



latent 



