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INTRODUCTION 



Geconomy of the inhabitants of a country, or which by their beauty contribute to 

 the enjoyment and pleasure of mankind, 



But another very important advantage of an institution of this kind is, the pro= 

 pagating of useful plants, natives of other countries, and the consequent enriching 

 of the country into which they are introduced. This has been clone to a very large 

 extent in England, which is now adorned with, and reaps the advantage of, a very 

 large stock of vegetables originally imported from foreign countries. But many of 

 these, which are mere objects of curiosity in England, are of the greatest utility when 

 transported to a country congenial to their constitutions. The Mahogany tree, 

 for instance, which but a few years ago was brought from Jamaica to this country, 

 thrives so luxuriantly in Bengal, that many thousand trees of it are growing here, 

 and even small pieces of furniture have been already made of the wood. The Pi- 

 mento and Coffee prosper now as well in Bengal as in their native soil, and the Nut- 

 meg, notwithstanding the climate is somewhat too cold for it, already produces fruit 

 every year. 



It is a most gratifying circumstance that our present Catalogue of Indian plants 

 contains eight hundred and fifty-eight species of trees, some of which produce the 

 best kinds of Timber in the world. The Teak (Tectona grandis) the Shalfl, (Sho- 

 rea robusta) and the Sissoo, (Dalbergia Sissoo) have long been well known, and de- 

 servedly esteemed. The wood of the jack tree (Artocarpus integrifolius) and 

 the Toon, (Cedrela Toona) are but little inferior to mahogany. A good judge in. 

 deed would scarcely distinguish between the first of these and the finest mahogany, 

 after both have been a little time in use. The Sit-shala is universally employed 

 ' to make furniture, and there are but few kinds of woods better adapted for that pur- 

 pose. 



The present catalogues furnish us with no fewer than eighteen species of Indian oak, 

 some of which appear to be nearly or quite equal to English oak ; ten species of 

 Dalbergia, which are useful timber trees. Several mimosas also, and a great number 

 of other species, appear for the first time among the number of prime timber trees, 

 furnishing good materials for Shipbuilding, Architecture, Furniture, and Domestic 

 convenience. 



