6 PREFACE. 



That many common names Lave been omitted from this work is not 

 the fault of the author. It is to be regretted that the example of Hille- 

 brand. in the Flora of Hawaii, where a few brief lines of small type are 

 given to matters of general economic interest, such as the native names 

 and the native utility of the species, is not universally followed. 

 Such a practice would greatly enhance the value of botanical publica- 

 tions both for the student and specialist. The admirable work of Dr- 

 .1. \V. Fewkes, Dr. Edw. Palmer, and others in this direction is to be 

 heartily commended. 



Acknowledgments are due for valuable aid rendered in the prep- 

 aration of the work to Dr. D. Morris, assistant director of the Eoyal 

 Kew Gardens; Dr. A. Ernst, director of the National Museum of 

 Caracas; Prof. Jose Eamirez, botanical department, Instituto Medico 

 National, Mexico: Mr. F. Y. Coville, Botanist of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Y. Havard, U. S. A.; also to 

 Dr. W. E. Guilfoyle, director of the Botanic Gardens, Yictoria; Mr. K. 

 Tawara, agricultural bureau, Tokyo, Japan; Mr. J. H. Hart, director 

 of the botanic gardens of Trinidad; Mr. William Fawcett, director of 

 the public gardens of Jamaica; Mr. Eomulo Escobar (Mexican court, 

 W. C. E., 1893), Jaurez, Mexico; Mr. A. Dorca, of Lima, Peru; 

 Mr. Herbert Putnam, librarian of the Boston Public Library; Mr. Gus- 

 tav Xiederlein. of the Philadelphia Commercial Museum; Dr. George L. 

 Goodale, Harvard University Botanical Museum ; Dr. L. M. Underwood, 

 department of botany, Columbia University, Xew York ; Mr. J. E. Dodge, 

 formerly statistician of the Department of Agriculture; Prof. William 

 H. Seaman, United States Patent Office: Dr. Thomas Wilson, Dr. J. W. 

 Fewkes, Dr. Otis T. Mason, and Mr. Walter Hough, United States 

 National Museum; and Messrs. Lyster H. Dewey and E. S. Steele, 

 assistants, botanical division of the Department of Agriculture, for 

 their kind offices in the collection of material for the work and for 

 assistance in other ways. And I recall the name of one whose friendly 

 encouragement in all my endeavors will ever be held in grateful remem- 

 brance, the late Dr. George Brown Goode. 



To the many friends who have aided in the work and whose names 

 only appear in the list of contributors, on another page, I also desire to 

 express my thanks for interesting notes of species, which have added 

 greatly to the value and completeness of the publication in its entirety. 



For the photographs of palms from which tig. 2, PI. YI. and the hg- 

 ures on PI. IX were reproduced, I am indebted to Mr. W. S. Gavey, of 

 Brooklyn, X. Y. ; for the print of California hemp, to Mr. Sidney E. 

 Meltzer, Bakersfield, Cal.; for the photograph of Agave decipiens to 

 My. Allied Monroe, Concord, Mass., and to Prof William Trealease, 

 of the Missouri Botanic Garden, for the original of tig. 2, PI. XII. 

 The frontispiece and PI. XI are from negatives in possession of the 

 Department. All other plate illustrations are from negatives made by 

 the author. 



C. K. D. 



