INTRODUCTION
The object of this work is to give a complete account of all the trees which grow naturally or are cultivated in Great Britain, and which have attained, or seem likely to attain, a size which justifies their being looked on as timber trees; but does not include those which are naturally of shrubby or bushy habit.
Although sixty years have passed since Loudon's great work was published, no book has been written which describes in full the species which in his time were unknown, or so recently introduced that their cultural requirements and economic or ornamental value had not been tested.
Many deciduous trees, which were commonly planted before his time, have gone out of popular favour, and are almost forgotten; whilst the rage for conifers which sprang up about seventy years ago has led to the introduction of almost every species which can be grown in this country; and many of these have now reached an age at which their value can be accurately judged of.
Special books dealing with conifers have appeared which may satisfy the wants of a horticulturist, but none exists that at all meets the requirements of landowners, foresters, and arboriculturists, and will enable them to distinguish the species with certainty, or guide them in selecting the species the best suited for economic culture in different parts of England.
Forestry is at last making headway as a science in this country, but too many of the books recently published on the subject have been based on continental experience, which is not directly applicable to the very different conditions of climate, soil, labour, and market existing here. In the cultural part of the work we base our conclusions on home experience and practice; and in this connection it may be stated that for almost every exotic species there are older specimens of individual trees and of plantations in these islands than on the Continent. After having seen the trees of every country in Europe, of nearly all the States of North America, of Canada, Japan, China, West Siberia, and Chile, we confidently assert that these islands contain a greater number of fine trees from the temperate regions of the world than any other country. Descriptions of the best examples of all of these and of interesting woods and plantations will be a prominent feature of the book.
We have the special qualification that we have seen with our own eyes and studied on the spot, both at home and abroad, most of the trees which will be included in the book.
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