PREFACE. 
THE activity of private cultivators and nurserymen is con- 
tinually enriching our gardens with plants which are either 
new to cultivation or have been reintroduced after being lost 
sight of. 
Every corner of the world which affords any prospect of 
rewarding a collector is systematically searched. It would be 
difficult to estimate the expenditure of money and labour upon 
this kind of enterprise, which has not seldom been attended with 
the sacrifice of life. 
Unfortunately its results are too often launched upon commerce 
or otherwise distributed under names which have either been 
inaccurately determined or are purely fanciful. These names 
cannot be wholly disregarded, inasmuch as they hecome current 
in horticultural literature. It constantly, therefore, becomes 
necessary to trace them to their earliest publication in order to 
obtain information as to the native country of the plants to which 
they belong and other particulars relating to them. The task is, 
however, by no means an easy one, as the notices have to be sought 
in numerous and widely-scattered horticultural periodicals. 
To obviate this difficulty a list of new garden plants was 
published in the Gardeners’ Year Book and Almanack as long 
ago as 1860, and this list was continued annually until the 
Year Book and Almanack of 1886, which contained the new 
plants of 1885. The new plants of 1886 to October were published 
by instalments in the columns of the Journal of Horticuliure 
during the months of January to May, 1887. The publication 
was not continued in the following year, and it was believed that 
it was no longer likely to be undertaken by private enterprise. 
Such an annual list was, however, found to be so indispensable, 
even for the work of Kew itself, that it was decided to undertake 
‘its compilation by the Kew Staff. Accordingly the list for 1887 
was published in the Kew Bulletin for 1888. It was accompanied 
by the following prefatory remark :— 
“ As the publication of a list of new garden plants is of the 
“ greatest interest to botanical establishments everywhere, and as 
“é oo Wt 29513 D&S 29 a 
