
          Early Hort. Lit

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"TYPE ENTRIES"

The number of titles in this list credited to the Department of Agriculture has not
been counted, but it is certainly very large, and comprises the majority of authenticated
entries.  In compiling this list the Department has always been the primary source of the
literature, and its copies, when perfect, have been the basis of our bibliographical descriptions
and notes. It would be fitting, therefore, if this project should be further
developed by the Department, to accept its examples of horticultural books as the type
or norm of these works. To ensure absolute accuracy, every title in the final list should
be based upon an individual copy of the work, distinctly credited to the library that owns
the type . It cannot be assumed that additional copies, casually checked from lists with
varying cataloging procedures, are identical with the type.

CHECKING AND VERIFICATION

The first phase of editing, therefore, after the scope is defined, is checking of
the entries used. As the addition of examples located in various library catalogs has
introduced an element of uncertainty about the data originally secured from particular
copies, it is necessary that all the entries should be carefully scrutinized . Fortunately
there are certain processes and criteria that will ensure a high degree of accuracy in
checking titles, avoid duplication of effort, and secure fairly uniform results.

Inasmuch as a large proportion of the complete entries are based on works in the Library
of Congress and U. S. Department of Agriculture, most of them are represented by
printed cards of those libraries, and most of those cards are filed in the catalog of the
Department of Agriculture. All the titles should be checked with the latter; or, if not
found there, with the catalog of the Library of Congress. Entries in which bibliographical
details are confirmed by the printed cards (hereinafter called ”L C printed cards),
may be accepted as correct; but if they differ for works that have evidently been carefully
cataloged, there is usually some reason for the variation, which should be found.

FURTHER RESOURCES

About half the titles will presumably be confirmed by L C printed cards. Besides
these, about 25% to 30% have been located in catalogs of libraries, where they can be verified;
while probably 25% have not been located. By far the greatest proportion of unverified
titles in any one collection is in the British Museum. These may amount to almost
        