Abstract: he cannot rule out the claims of the public to know something of the man who presumes to offer rules for its guidance.He would briefly state that, reared from infancy amongst extensive collections of trees, they.became by circumstances as well as by taste the study and the hobby of his riper years.These advantages, together with a two years' study of trees in the celebrated gardens at Kew, with the subsequent practice of his knowledge in many superior establishments, amongst which he would here enumerate Rosedale, the nursery of Robert Buist; Bartram Botanic Gardens, now the property of A. M. Eastwick, Esq., and Springbrook, the country-seat of Caleb Cope, Hsq., are, as he trusts, sufficient to induce him to appear without presumption before the public in an author's capacity.He would here farther return his thanks to his numerous friends for their kind assistance.Particularly to Dr.