PREFACE 



Vll 



and in addition many practical class-articles have been prepared for the aid of the 

 cultivator and designer. These class-articles are mostly as follows : 



There is marked growth in outdoor horticulture in North America. The largest 

 extension in the present Cyclopedia, so far as taxonomic work is concerned, is in the 

 description of trees and shrubs. There is widespread interest in these subjects. We are 

 beginning to realize our native resources in woody plants, to understand how to make 

 use of our many climates and natural conditions; and to incorporate freely into our 

 cultivated flora many of the trees and shrubs of China and other regions, under the 

 stimulus of the Arnold Arboretum and other agencies. The resources of the Arboretum 

 have been placed at the command of the Cyclopedia through the careful and original 

 work of Alfred Rehder. Similar aids have been extended from other sources, and 

 particularly from the Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction service of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture. 



While hardy plants and outdoor gardening seem to be increasing rapidly in 

 favor, there is a decided tendency toward the breaking-up of large fanciers' collections, 

 in private establishments, of old-time glasshouse plants. It is now quite impossible, 

 for example, to find in this country any large private collections of the species of 

 begonias or of the varieties of camellias or of the show pelargoniums; orchid collections 

 of notable extent are few. The demand of the trade is for relatively few species, and the 

 conmiercial collections are mostly concerned with a few stock kinds and florists' plants, 

 together with a small addition of annual novelties, rather than with the former long 

 lists of many separate and interesting species and varieties. Even private places, 

 especially private greenhouses, are devoted very largely to cut-flowers and florists' 

 plants. It is incumbent on a cyclopedia of this kind, however, to preserve the accounts 

 of these begonias, orchids, palms, cacti, succulents, "stove plants," and others, even 

 though many of them may be known to very few; and the Editor hopes that the 

 amateur will regain his ascendancy and that collections of plants because they are 

 plants may not perish from amongst us. 



There has been great extension in recent years in commercial floriculture and in the 



