244 



a species which seems to be common in India and some other 

 parts of Asia.) 



Roland M. Harper. 



Reviews 



Young's Catalogue d'Arbres Arbustes et Plantes Herbacees d'Amerlque* 



According to Mr. Rhoads this is the "earhest published book 

 written by an American botanist and devoted exclusively to 

 American botany, horticulture and floriculture," and it "has 

 been either purposely ignored or entirely overlooked by scientists, 

 historians and bibliographers." The former statement is more 

 true than significant as Cadwallader Golden (i 749-1 751) and 

 Peter Kalm (i 753-1 761), both botanists of note, had previously 

 drawn attention to our flora, while horticulture and floriculture 

 had received a good deal of printed notice as early as 1670 in the 

 writings of Daniel Denton of Hempstead, L. I., and later in the 

 catalogs of Prince's nursery, a collection so valuable that the 

 invading British issued a special older, during their occupation 

 of New York, that the "nurseries of Mr. Prince of Flushing are 

 not to be destroyed" (order of J. Robinson, English officer at 

 New York, 16 June, 1780). That the book which Mr. Rhoads 

 has edited is of unquestioned interest no one can deny, but that 

 it adds anything to our existing knowledge of the botany or 

 horticulture of the latter part of the eighteenth century, the 

 citations above would seem to disprove. 



The catalog is most interesting as showing the ideas of our 

 flora as understood at that time. Many common species, appar- 

 ently under Linnaean names, are scattered through it, but with- 

 out hazarding a definite prophecy it looks also as though those 

 gifted with a talent for "nailing" earliest publication of names 

 for American species, have been furnished with some highly 

 charged ammunition. The editor evidently tries to wash his 



* William Young, Jr. (of Philadelphia), " Botaniste de Pensylvanie," and his 

 long-forgotten book, being a facsimile reprint of his " Catalogue d'Arbres Arbustes 

 et Plantes Herbacees d'Amerique." Published in Paris in 1783. With prefatory- 

 account of the author and ciitical notes by the editor, Samuel N. Rhoads. Pp. 

 i-ix + 1-55. Large paper, 4to, $4.00. Small paper, 8vo, I2.75. Privately printed. 

 Philadelphia, 1916. 



