169 



American Trees will be instrumental in bringing about a wider 

 cultivation of many of our native species. 



A very valuable feature of the text that appears quite inde- 

 pendent of the descriptions of the plants is the emphasis that is 

 given to the salient and diagnostic characters by which they are 

 readily known. This kind of assistance is of the highest value 

 to the beginner and it would have been greatly appreciated if the 

 features that really identify a form had been emphasized for every 

 troublesome species. Very familiar forms like the red and the 

 gray oak {Quercus borcalis), the sugar and the black maple 

 (Acer nigrnni),ox the shagbark hickory [Hicoria ovatd) cause no 

 end of confusion to the beginner owing to their variations. And, 

 after all, how many characters are really used in distinguishing 

 one species from another ? A detailed description is of course 

 a necessity but to the mind of the inexperienced it furnishes no 

 distinct picture of the object and consequently a i&w words to 

 focus his attention upon the most important features are of great 

 assistance. 



No one can use the book without experiencing the hope that 

 the authors may put forth a companion work upon the North 

 American shrubs. The need of such a book is constantly 

 brought to the attention of the reader because the authors are 

 often obliged to consider forms that are popularly looked upon 

 as belonging to that imaginary group called shrubs — indeed it 

 is not clear why several forms have been apparently discriminated 

 against and excluded from a place in the book, especially some 

 of the species occurring in the alder, wax-myrtle, cornel, elder- 

 berry, and viburnum genera. Probably because it is impossible 

 to draw the line between trees and shrubs. Abridged, pocket 

 editions of these books, somewhat after the plan of the little 

 German guide-books, would meet a long felt want and would be 

 immensely popular. Complaints are often heard of the lack of 

 interest in botany in the United States, but we never stop to con- 

 sider how little has been done for those who are not somewhat 

 familiar with the subject. The great majority of the books upon 

 botany are of no service to the untrained and this applies to 

 many of the so-called popular works, owing to their fragmentary 



