42 



In the general index the only persons mentioned are those 

 whose names occur on the first 20 pages. About 75 others, 

 many of whom are shown in the text to have made important 

 contributions to the knowledge of the Maryland flora, are omitted. 

 This perhaps should not be charged up to the authors, however. 

 The botanical index seems to be complete, except for the plants 

 mentioned on pages 86, 87, and 385 (and these are the ones 

 excluded from the state flora), and in -the footnotes on page 164 

 and in the catalogue.* 



With the few exceptions here noted, the Plant Life of Maryland 

 is a model of its kind, and it easily ranks among the foremost 

 of existing local phytogeographical works. It is to be hoped 

 that botanists in other states, especially those whose vegetation 

 has not yet been systematically described, will soon follow the 

 splendid example set by Dr. Shreve and his associates. 



Roland M. Harper. 



Apgar's Ornamental Shrubs of the United States 



In criticising a book we must look at it from the standpoint 

 of the author. The late Mr. Apgar has fully informed us in the 

 preface that his aim has been to produce a work that will reach 

 "that large public who wish to know by name the attractive 

 shrubs cultivated in parks and private grounds, but who are 

 actually afraid of anything called botany." Viewed from this 

 frank avowal of its purpose, the little book before us will fill 

 the need of a large number of people who have not an extended 

 knowledge of botany and its terms. What terms the author 

 has found it necessary to use have been fully explained in the 

 first part of the work and in the glossary at the end. The 

 primary classification is based upon the form and position of the 

 leaves, when these are present; or in their absence keys are 

 provided for deciduous-leaved shrubs, and for thorny or spiny 



* Although the present work is not a good illustration of the point, it might 

 not be out of place to remark here that indexing is too often regarded as a mere 

 mechanical process, requiring no intelligence or discretion, and delegated by the 

 author to persons who have no interest in his work. 



t Apgar, A. C. Ornamental Shrubs of the United States (Hardy, Cultivated). 

 Pp. 1-352. pi. 1-4. j, 1-621. American Book Co. Price li-So. 



