PREFACE. Vll 



countries, usually seen in green-houses or conservatories, appear in a flourish- 

 ing state in the open air ; and also because the culture and management of 

 such plants call forth a higher degree of scientific knowledge and attention 

 on the part of the gardener, and therefore contribute to his improvement and 

 consequent usefulness. Half-hardy trees and shrubs of the more tender kinds 

 are generally cultivated against what is in this Work called a conservative wall ; 

 that is, a wall which may be flued or not according to circumstances, but which 

 admits of putting up a temporary projecting roof, or some other means of 

 protection, during the winter season. Such walls are at present not very 

 generally in use for ornamental exotics ; but so great are the interest and 

 beauty which they are calculated to display when properly designed, planted, 

 and managed, that in a few years they will pi'obably be as general as fruit 

 walls ; and, as ornaments to a country residence, connected with the flower- 

 garden and shrubbery, will be considered as ranking next to the conservatory 

 and the green-house. 



Having given this notice of the objects which have led to the undertaking 

 of this Work, and a general outline of the plan pursued in it, the reader is 

 referred to the Introduction, and to the Explanatory References which pre- 

 cede the Table of Contents, for further details. 



The engraving and printing of this Work, for which collections had been 

 making for several years (see the Gardener's Magazine, vol. vi., for 1830, 

 p. 582. and p. 718.), was begun in August, 1834 ; and it has been published in 

 Numbers, the first of which appeared in January, 1835, and the 63d and 

 last on the 1st of July, 1838. It was originally intended to include in 

 it a generalisation of the whole subject of the trees and shrubs of temperate 

 climates; but, finding the Work had increased to more than double the 

 extent originally contemplated, it has been thought advisable to publish the 

 generalisation alluded to separately ; and it will accordingly appear at some 

 fiiture time, in one volume, under the title of an EncyclopcEdia of Arboriculture, 



It now remains for the author to acknowledge his obligations to the nu- 

 merous persons who have given him information for this Work. He refers to 

 the List of Contributors, p. xv., and to every individual there named he begs 

 to return his most sincere thanks. He thanks, in a more particular manner, 

 the Council of the Horticultural Society of London, for having granted him 

 permission to take portraits of the trees in the Society's Garden, and to ex- 

 amine and make drawings from the botanical specimens sent home by Douglas 

 and others, in their herbarium ; as well as for the information communicated 

 by their head gardener, Mr. Munro, and the foreman of their arboretum, Mr. 

 Gordon. The author is deeply indebted to Messrs. Loddiges, with reference to 

 then- arboretum at Hackney, and for the kind and liberal manner in which they 

 have at all times, during the last ten yeai's, since he began to prepare for this 

 Work, not only allowed him to send artists to make drawings, and supplied 

 him with specimens, but permitted him to select these himself ,- and, in short, 

 to use their unrivalled collection of hardy trees and shrubs as if it had been 

 his own. To the Linnean Society, and their librarian. Professor Don, the 

 author is much indebted for the loan of books, and for permission to examine 



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