Vlll PREFACE. 



Dictionary," anil liy Loudon, in his "Arboretum et Fruticctum Britannicum." There 

 is one feature, as regards this arrangemiMit, to vvliich the author would call particular 

 attention. It will be perceived that, in various instances, he has reduced the luiniber 

 of species, and even, in some cases, of varieties, which he wishes to be distinctly un- 

 dei^stood has been done, not only with the object of rendering the cla.ssifi(-ation less 

 complicated, but with an opinion that such analogies do exist; yet he is not by any 

 means desirous to separate assemblages of species, or to alter established names, in any 

 manner whatever. No one, he conceives, should do this who has not attained an em- 

 inent rank as a botanist, to which he has no pretensions. Hence, in most of the cases 

 in which he has assumed a species as a variety, he has given the names as adopted by 

 Michaux, Nuttall, Loudon, or some other botanical writer, in order that the reader may 

 know under what heads such varieties are described in the works of these authors. 



The aiithor feels called upon to acknowledge that he is particulaily indebted to Mr. 

 J. C. Loudon for a lai'ge share of his work, taken from the "Arboretum Britannicum," 

 and to Dr. Thaddeus W. Hai"ris for many valuable extracts from his " Report on the 

 Insects of Massachusetts injurious to Vegetation;" also to Mr. P.J. Selby for extracts 

 from his beautiful work on "British Forest Trees," and to " L'Histoire des Arbres 

 Forestiers de I'Amerique Septentrionale," par M. F. Andre-Michaux. 



As the preparation of a treatise like the present necessarily requires time to be con- 

 summated, and is attended with considerable expense, the author has ventured to issue 

 a volume, by which public opinion may be guided respecting its merits, and a judgment 

 may be formed of the ability or fidelity with which it has been executed. Should the 

 public demand an extension of the work conformably to the plan he has adopted, a sup- 

 plementary volume will follow, embracing an account of most of the other trees grow- 

 ing in Europe and America, with statements of the sources from which the information 

 will have been derived ; copious indexes ; a glossary of technical terms employed in 

 the work; and comparative tables of the various kinds of wood, in regard to their 

 strength, durability, value as fuel, and a variety of other useful information respecting 

 timber and trees never before published. 



In conclusion, the author requests that his readers will seasonably apprise him of 

 whatever corrections, additions, or suggestions may occur to them, in order that the 

 work may be rendered as complete as possible, and issued without unnecessary delay. 



D. J, B. 



V/j York, August, 1846. 



