PREFACE 
Among the numerous useful and interesting objects of 
natural history discovered on the vast extent of the New 
Continent, none claim our attention in a higher degree 
than the vegetable productions of North America* Her 
forests produce an endless variety of useful and stately 
timber trees ; her woods and hedges the most ornamen- 
tal flowering shrubs, so much admired in our pleasure 
grounds ; and her fields and meadows a number of ex- 
ceedingly handsome and singular flowers (many of them 
possessing valuable medicinal virtues), different from 
those of other countries. All these are more or less capa- 
ble of being adapted to an European climate, and the 
greater part of easy cultivation and quick growth; 
which circumstances have given them, with much pro- 
priety, the first rank in ornamental gardening. 
A country so highly abundant in all the objects of my 
favourite pursuits, excited in me, at an early period of 
life, a strong desire to visit it, and to observe in their 
natural soil and climate the plants which I then knew ; 
and to make such discoveries as circumstances might 
throw in my way. This plan I carried into execution 
in the year 1/99 ; when I left Dresden, the place where 
J had received mv education, and embarked for Baltj- 
