Project Gutenberg's Flowers and Flower-Gardens, by David Lester Richardson

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

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

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FLOWERS AND FLOWER-GARDENS ***

Produced by Tony Browne and PG Distributed Proofreaders. Produced
from images provided by the Million Book Project.

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