PRITZEL'S "INDEX." 



references to plates in Floras where the plants are critically drawn ; 

 but the numberless garden varieties and forms must be passed over. 

 A card catalogue of all entries is being made, and it is suggested 

 that its home should be in the Library of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society as a permanent catalogue, and be there kept posted up. 

 The basis of selection was thus phrased : — 



(a) All plates and drawings, whether produced from photographs 

 or not, should be included if accompanied by a detailed scientific 

 botanical description. 



(b) All plates, drawings, and reproductions of sufficient botanical, 

 horticultural, scientific, artistic or historical value should be included, 

 even if the botanical description be deficient. 



(c) That it should not be considered necessary to include all 

 plates or drawings in a work selected to be cited, but only those 

 which conform to the conditions eventually laid down. 



(d) Cross-reference to genera where necessary. 



(e) A list of the works cited should be drawn up, with the abbre- 

 viations employed, and authorities for the species added. 



(f) Dr. Stapf, F.R.S., was appointed honorary editor, to super- 

 vise the work which is to be done at Kew by temporary members 

 of the staff. 



A summary may be best made by the following extract from 

 the memorandum drafted by the Secretary of the Society : — 



"... Not only is Pritzel's book out of print, but as he finished 

 his work in 1866, and as the last fifty years have been more pro- 

 ductive of new plants discovered than any fifty years before, it may 

 be imagined how absolutely necessary, from both the botanical and 

 horticultural points of view, it is to bring Pritzel's work up to 

 date. Different scientific bodies, both here and in the United States, 

 from time to time have made suggestions for undertaking this work 

 of revision, but as yet none of their suggestions has taken effect, 

 chiefly on account of the very large expenditure and scientific work 

 it involves. 



" The original ' Pritzel,' which must of course be reprinted, con- 

 tains about 107,000 entries, and it is estimated that at least 125,000 

 more entries will have to be incorporated with them. Add to this 

 that the above work bemg all so technical and scientific, and 

 absolute accuracy so necessary, some idea may be formed of what 

 the revision entails. A rough estimate has been given of the cost 

 of preparing the manuscript for the printer, £1,500, and after that 

 there will remain reading the proof — a matter which can only be 

 done by a skilled botanist — and last of all there will be the printing 

 itself, and taking this last item at pre-War figures the total cost 

 will be little, if at all, less than £3,000 or £3,500, and post-War figures 

 may even bring it up to as much as £4,000. 



" The Royal Horticultural Society, being the premier horticultural 

 society of the world, has at last definitely undertaken to carry out 

 the work with the assistance of botanists attached to the Royal 



