
          Early Hort. Lit

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1.  A straight bibliography of horticultural works before 1800, with accurate titles,
imprints, and all other data essential to absolute identification and exact description.
For the purpose of such a bibliography the list comprises nearly all the important titles
in English, and possibly most of those in French and Italian, though it may be less complete
for German literature and some lesser groups.

2. An expanded bibliography, with addition of biographical data, somewhat on the order
of Pritzel’s ’’Thesaurus Literaturae Botanicae” but fuller; and also including critical
notes on unusual books. The list contains considerable biographical data, and many
references to minor essays and obituaries, together with unique information on authors
gleaned from their own books and some less known sources. There is also material for discussion
of attributions, plagiaries, and anonymous works, based on internal evidence.

3. Compilation of data, with reference to period and locality, on the history of
cultivated plants and plant introduction. There are many books on the subject, but a great
many new sources are continually being discovered, and fresh interpretations being given
to old ones; hence a new index to such material ought to be very helpful. Of course it
would be necessary to largely supplement the notes and abstracts found in this present
list, both to include articles published in the last 12 or 15 years, and indispensable
works that were excluded from the list by their period or general character, which are
authorities on the plants, persons, places, and dates, involved in such research.

DEFINITION OF SCOPE

Whenever or whatever publication may be contemplated, the first step should be to
sharply define its scope, so that only the relevant matter of the present list may be developed,
and superfluous material discarded, according to a distinct plan. This may consider
and decide the problem of the omitted titles for Latin agricultural classics, which
would need a vast amount of research and editing to bring them into uniformity with the
rest of the entries; while if they are greatly condensed or altogether rejected, it would
involve making different entries for important contributions connected with some of them.

EDITORSHIP

The handling of this material for any kind of publication demands superior editorship.
It is not essential that the editor be very familiar with the subject matter;
for after the scope of the publication and fullness of treatment are determined, it will
        