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Title: Flowers and Flower-Gardens
With an Appendix of Practical Instructions and Useful Information
Respecting the Anglo-Indian Flower-Garden
Author: David Lester Richardson
Release Date: May 7, 2004 [EBook #12286]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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FLOWERS AND FLOWER-GARDENS.
BY
DAVID LESTER RICHARDSON,
PRINCIPAL OF THE HINDU METROPOLITAN COLLEGE, AND AUTHOR OF "LITERARY
LEAVES," "LITERARY RECREATIONS," &C.
WITH AN APPENDIX OF
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS AND USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE
ANGLO-INDIAN FLOWER-GARDEN.
CALCUTTA:
MDCCCLV.
PREFACE.
In every work regard the writer's end,
Since none can compass more than they intend.
_Pope_.
This volume is far indeed from being a scientific treatise _On Flowers
and Flower-Gardens_:--it is mere gossip in print upon a pleasant
subject. But I hope it will not be altogether useless. If I succeed in
my object I shall consider that I have gossipped to some purpose. On
several points--such as that of the mythology and language of flowers--I
have said a good deal more than I should have done had I been writing
for a different community. I beg the London critics to bear this in
mind. I wished to make the subject as attractive as possible to some
classes of people here who might not have been disposed to pay any
attention to it whatever if I had not studied their amusement as much as
their instruction. I have tried to sweeten the edge of the cup.
I did not at first intend the book to exceed fifty pages: but I was
almost insensibly carried on further and further from the proposed limit
by the attractive nature of the materials that pressed upon my notice.
As by far the largest portion, of it has been written hurriedly, amidst
other avocations, and bit by bit; just as the Press demanded an
additional supply of "_copy_," I have but too much reason to apprehen
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