T

HE Intention of this Publication is to bring into one point of view, and arrange in a compendious form, the Art of Planting and Laying-out Plantations: an art which, though in itself a unity, has hitherto been treated of as two diftinct fubjects. Books upon Planting we have many; and thofe upon ornamental Gardening are not lefs numerous; but a Practical Treatife comprehending the entire fubject of conducting rural improvements upon the principles of modern tafte, has not hitherto appeared in public. This circumftance, however, is the lefs to be wondered at, as the man of business and the man of taste are rarely united in the fame perfon. There are many Nurserymen who are intimately acquainted with the various methods of propagating trees and shrubs; and many gentlemen whofe natural tafte, reading, and obfervation,

observation enable them to form just ideas of rural embellishment; but where fhall we find the Nurseryman who is capable of ftriking out the great defign, or the Gentleman equal to the management of every tree and shrub he may wish to affemble in his collection? To proceed one step farther, where is the Gentleman, or the Nurseryman, who is fufficiently converfant in the after treatment of Woodlands, Hedges, and the more useful Plantations In fine, where fhall we look for the man who in the fame perfon unites the Nurferyman, the Land -Steward, the Ornamentalist, and the Author? We know no fuch man: the reader therefore must not be disappointed when he finds that, in treating of exotic trees and fhrubs, the works of preceding writers have been made use of.

Cook is our first writer on Planting; nevertheless EVELYN has been ftyled the Father of Planting in England. It is probable that, in the early part of life, Evelyn was a practical planter upon his estate at Wotton in Surrey; but his book was written in the wane of life, at Greenwich, during a long and painful fit

of

of the gout. His Sylva contains many practical rules, valuable, no doubt, in his day, but now fuperfeded by modern practice; and may be faid to lie buried in a farrago of traditional tales and learned digreffions fuited to the age he lived in *. MILLER at length arofe among a group of minor planters; and after him the indefatigable HANBURY, whofe immenfe labours are in a manner loft to the . Public.

Cook and Evelyn treated profeffedly of FoREST-TREES, Miller and Hanbury include ORNAMENTALS; but their works, which are voluminous and expenfive, alfo include kitchengardening, flower-gardening, the management of green-houses, ftoves, &c. &c. the propagation of trees and fhrubs, adapted to the open air of this climate, forming only a small portion of their respective publications.

Miller and Hanbury, however, are the only writers who could afford us the required affiftance; and we were led to a choice of the latter, as our chief authority, by three prin

*The firft Edition was printed in 1664, having been pre

viously read before the Royal Society in 1662.

cipal motives :-Hanbury wrote fince Miller, and having made ample ufe of Mr. M.'s book, his work contains in effect the experience of both writers: Miller is in the hands of most gentlemen; Hanbury is known to few; his book, either through a want of method, a want of language, or through an ill-judged plan of publishing on his own account, has never fold and laftly, Miller's botanical arrangement is become obfolete; Hanbury's is agreeable to the Linnean fyftem.

Since Mr. Hanbury's death, the public have been favored with a new and sumptuous edition of Evelyn's Sylva; with notes by Dr. Hunter of York, confifting of botanical descriptions, and the modern propagation of fuch trees as Evelyn has treated of. Thefe notes, however, contain little new information; the defcriptions being principally copied from Miller, and the practical directions from Hanbury.

Left unacknowledged affiftance, or affistance acknowledged indirectly, should be laid to our charge, it is thought proper in this place to particularize the feveral parts of this publication which are written from those which are copied.

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