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 apprehend that it will seem to many of my readers, fragmentary and ill-connected.  Then again, in a city like Calcutta, it is not easy to prepare any thing satisfactorily that demands much literary or scientific research.  There are very many volumes in all the London Catalogues, but not immediately obtainable in Calcutta, that I should have been most eager to refer to for interesting and