appear to him most suitable to his individual case. The latter method we have adopted, as being, in our opinion, decidedly the best. If we had preferred the former mode, our work must necessarily have exhibited only our own opinions; whereas, by adopting the latter mode, our work exhibits all the most valuable opinions and practices on every subject which it treats of, which have hitherto been published, more particularly in Britain. The young reader is thus induced to think for himself, and to refer his opinions and practices to fundamental principles; while the experienced practitioner may adopt the opinions and practices of those authors in whom he has most faith. A little reflection will, we think, convince every unprejudiced mind, that this method of compilation is calculated to be the most useful in all general works on the practical arts; and that it is more especially so in the arts of gardening and agriculture will be at once allowed, when it is considered how much the practice of these arts must vary with variations of climate, soil, and other geographical circumstances. How, for example, on any other plan than that which we have adopted, could we have treated of the culture of every plant, so as to have rendered our Treatise alike suitable for England and Scotland: or how could we so easily have enabled the reader, who inhabits neither England nor Scotland, to deduce from the practices of those two countries a practice suitable to his own country; say, for example, North America? Unless the distinctions between a systematic Encyclopædia and a Dictionary, and between the two modes of executing the former just described, be clearly understood, the great advantages which our Encyclopædia of Gardening possesses over all other general works on the same subject, which have preceded it, cannot be duly appreciated. In submitting an entirely revised edition of the Encyclopædia of Gardening to the public, we consider it advisable to give a short outline of the numerous important improvements which it contains. The general arrangement remains the same; experience having confirmed the author in his opinion of the justness of the sentiments on this subject, which he prefixed to the first edition of the work. Not only is there a saving of time by referring to a general index, instead of to the body of a Dictionary of any art or science; but, in a systematic work like the present, every subject being found in its proper place and connection, one subject throws light upon another, and the work becomes a whole, which is rendered readable from beginning to end. This, to the young gardener, and to the amateur student, is an incalculable advantage. The execution of the work has been conducted on the same principles; viz., those of inducing the young gardener to think for himself, and giving the man of experience a choice of practices. All knowledge, to be truly useful, must be gained by experience, and the next best thing to gaining this experience from personal practice, is to observe and reflect on the practices of others. Our great object, throughout the work, has been to instruct -not to lead. PART I., containing The History of Gardening, is nearly all rewritten; it has been enriched with a great number of new facts, and descriptions of gardens; and with numerous engravings of ground plans, and views of garden and park scenery. In order to give a complete view of the present state of gardening throughout the world, nearly every book of travels, published since 1810, has been consulted, and the author made a tour (in 1829) for the purpose of personally examining the finest gardens in France and Germany. An universal History of Gardening throughout the world was never attempted till this Encyclopædia appeared; and the author flatters himself that, with the assistance of Mr. Forsyth, he has, in this edition, rendered it, not only a very complete, but a very entertaining and instructive, portion of the work. In PART II., containing The Science of Gardening, the first book, which treats on Botany, has been entirely recomposed, so as to embrace the most approved modern opinions on Vegetable Physiology, and in other respects to harmonise with the present state of botanical science. All the other books have been brought into similar harmony with the present state of knowledge and practice, and more particularly Book III., on the Mechanical Agents employed in Gardening. In this book are described and figured all the new implements, instruments, and machines, considered valuable, and all the improvements in the construction of Hot-houses, and more especially the different modes of heating them by steam and by hot water; the latter, the greatest improvement which has been made in Gardening since this Encyclopædia originally appeared in 1822. In Book IV., which treats of the operations of Gardening, the chapter on insects, vermin, and the enemies of gardens, has been entirely rewritten, and greatly enlarged, by that eminent naturalist, Mr. Swainson. It is illustrated by numerous new engravings, and will be found a most important addition to this department of the work. PART III., on Gardening as practised in Britain, has received most invaluable additions, more particularly in the descriptive catalogues of fruits and culinary vegetables, with their synonymes. For these we are indebted to the Committee of the Horticultural Society, who kindly permitted us to consult on these subjects with their head gardener, Mr. Munro, and with the gardener of their fruit department, Mr. Thompson; and the result is, that we are enabled to present such descriptive catalogues, and such selected lists for particular situations and particular purposes, as could at no former period, and even at this time from no other source, be produced. Under Floriculture, in most of the preceding editions, the tables of ornamental plants were comparatively meagre and imperfect; and in the first and second editions full of orthographical errors. These tables were entirely recomposed by Mr. George Don, for the edition of 1831, and then received copious additions: they have now been brought down to the present time, by Mr. Denson, and, for accuracy, we will venture to state, that, if they are equalled, they are not surpassed, in any work whatever. Arboriculture has received those improvements in the details of transplanting, pruning, &c. which the advanced state of physiological knowledge required. Landscape-Gardening has also undergone revisal. Throughout the work, wherever the subject of insects and vermin has occurred, it has been corrected, or rewritten, by the eminent naturalist above referred to; and advantage has been taken, as far as garden insects are concerned, of the more recent discoveries communicated to our Magazine of Natural History, now published in monthly Numbers, price 28. each. The botanic names have been put in harmony with the nomenclature of our Hortus Britannicus; preserving, however, the Linnæan or popular synonyme, where it has been considered advisable. The present Edition has received upwards of 500 new engravings, many of which are of the full size of the page. The language throughout the work has been improved ; and it is confidently hoped that no gardening book, so comprehensive, and containing such an immense mass of matter, has ever been submitted to the public more free from errors, either of the pen or of the press. The most material additions to the present edition have been taken from the Gardener's Magazine, and that work (now published monthly at 1s. 6d. per No.) will continue to be, as it has hitherto been, a perpetual Supplement to this Encyclopædia, to the Encyclopædia of Plants, and to the Hortus Britannicus. The most important gardening acquisitions which we anticipate, are additions to our hardy fruits and culinary vegetables, chiefly through the exertions of the Horticultural Society of London and the Provincial Horticultural Societies; and new hardy plants, trees, and shrubs, in consequence of the general intercourse which, in this time of universal peace, exists among botanists throughout the world, and of the numerous botanical collectors who are now employed by British cultivators or amateurs, in different countries. The additions so received will henceforth be found included under four standing articles in the Gardener's Magazine; headed, respectively, Floricultural and Botanical Notices; or, notices of newly introduced flowers, shrubs, and trees; Pomological Notices, or notices of new fruits; Olitorial Notices, or notices of new culinary vegetables; and Arboricul tural Notices, or notices of new hardy trees and shrubs. The article entitled Floricultural and Botanical Notices has appeared in every No. of the Gardener's Magazine, since the publication of the first edition of our Hortus Britannicus, in May, 1830. The article to be headed Pomological Notices, or notices of new fruits, will commence with the year 1835, and will appear occasionally, as may be required. The article to be entitled Olitorial Notices, or notices of new culinary vegetables, will also commence with the year 1835, and be continued occasionally, as new articles in this department are originated or introduced. The article to be entitled Arboricultural Notices, or notices of new species or varieties of hardy trees and shrubs, useful or ornamental, will also commence with the year 1835, and be continued as occasion may require. The object of having the information to be contained in these articles under distinct heads, is to enable the possessors of the Encyclopædia of Gardening, of the Hortus Britannicus, and of our Arboretum Britannicum (which will appear in 1835), to ascertain, through the medium of the Gardener's Magazine, with the least possible loss of time, and with the least trouble to themselves, all the important additions which may be made in each year to the plants already in cultivation in Britain, whether in private gardens and country seats, or in commercial nurseries. To aid us in perfecting these Notices, the Council of the Horticultural Society of London have kindly granted us permission to apply, from time to time, for information to their head gardener, Mr. Munro, and to their fruit gardener, Mr. Thompson; and we have received the same indulgence from the Council of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, with reference to their head gardener, Mr. Barnet. We have directed the attention of all our foreign correspondents to these standing articles; and we earnestly request the assistance of the secretaries of all horticultural societies, of the curators of all botanic gardens, of all nurserymen, domestic and foreign, and, in short, of every gardener and amateur of gardening, in order that we may render them as complete as possible. Bayswater, Oct. 28. 1834. J. C. L. NOTICE RESPECTING CONTRIBUTORS. In consequence of the notices which we have given from time to time for the last five or six years in the Gardener's Magazine, we have received corrections, additions, and suggestions for this new edition of the Encyclopædia of Gardening from upwards of fifty persons. Nine tenths of these corrections and additions were for that part of the statistical division of the work, which enumerated and slightly described the principal country-seats of Great Britain and Ireland, under the heads of the respective countries in which they were situated. Descriptions of many new places have been sent to us; with corrections of the names of the owners of places formerly described, and of the rank of the residence; that is, stating whether it belonged to the class of first-rate residences, or those of mansions, or villas. From these descriptions and corrections we found, first, that, if we introduced the whole or the greater part of them, the bulk of that part of our work would be disproportionately increased; secondly, that it would be extremely difficult to give satisfaction in the classification of residences; and, thirdly, that it would be next to impossible to attain correctness as to the names of the proprietors. Under these circumstances, we resolved to omit this part of the work altogether in the present edition; and we can only, therefore, return our most sincere thanks to those individuals who took so much trouble on our behalf. These contributions will not be lost; for, as far as they are of general interest, they have been, or will be, given in the Gardener's Magazine. The few suggestions which we received were chiefly recommending coloured plates of plants, folding plates of plans for laying out grounds, &c.; and, though we entirely disapprove of both in such a work as this Encyclopædia, we are not the less obliged to those who gave us the best advice in their power. The principal aid which we have made use of in this edition has been received from Mr. Munro, Mr. Thompson, and Mr. Gordon, of the Horticultural Society's Garden, by permission of the Council of the Horticultural Society, from Mr. Forsyth, and from Mr. Swainson, as acknowledged in the Preface. From Mr. Fradgley, resident architect to the Earl of Shrewsbury, at Alton Towers, we received, by per. mission of the carl, a plan and several views of that magnificent place, and its different ornamental buildings; from Mr. Abraham, the loan of the drawing from which the view of the enchanted valley, p. 329., was engraved; from Sir G. T. Staunton, the drawing from which the view of Consequa's house and garden, p. 1201., was taken; from Mr. Smith of Hopetoun House, the map, view, and description of that residence; and from Mr. M'Nab, the plan and description of the New Edinburgh Botanic Garden. An eminent chemist and mineralogist looked over that part of the work which treats of soils and manures; Mr. Denson revised the whole of the names of plants; Mr. Scott supplied us with a list of stove Orchidea, with a copious account of their culture; Mr. Dennis, with a select list of pelargoniums, and remarks; Mr. Malcolin, Mr. Ronalds, and Mr. Charlwood, with lists of culinary vegetables and seeds; Mr. Gorrie supplied some facts and some derivations of names; Mr. Main and M. Vilmorin supplied some arboricultural notices; and M. Rauch of Vienna, M. Otto of Berlin, M. Bosch, M. Hertz, and M. Salucci, of Stuttgard, M. Hartweg of Carlsruhe, M. Petersen of Copenhagen, and Professor Agardh of Lund, some plans, views, and historical facts or corrections. The most valuable additions to the work are, the lists of fruit received from Mr. Thompson, and of culinary vegetables from Mr. Munro; and the next valuable, the article on insects, by Mr. Swainson, from p. 684, to p. 700. |