Profusely illustrated,560pp including index , it has the above coloured frontispiece , named after Lady Amherst ,wife of a former Governor of Burma , and was a guide for those going to the tropics for the first time wishing to cultivate plants for ornament, utility or commercial purposes.
The author was encouraged to write the book by his late chief, Sir Frank A. Stockdale, the first Agricultural Adviser to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1929. Sir Frank (1883-1949) was a leading British agriculturist who served in British Guiana, Mauritius and Ceylon, in the latter Director of Agriculture from 1916 to 1929 and a member of the Legislative Council from 1921 to 1929.
There are references to Australia in several places , the author having received assistance in preparation for the last edition from the Australian Trade Publicity Agents. There is mention of the beautiful Waratah ; Australian noxious weeds listed include Cape Weed, Water Hyacinth , Bathurst Burr , Prickly Pear (Queensland ) , Bracken Fern. Paddy's Lucerne Australian Daisy and Cockle Burr.
Dealing with garden and estate enemies, it says large numbers of Flying Foxes were killed with strychnine in Queensland ; White Ants are another problem in Australia , there being a photo of a " gigantic" termite hill , a bicycle nearby to give an indication of size.