Many scientific botanical authors of justly high repute decline to give attention to the important characters of _cultivated_ plants, confining their work to the species in the original forms only. Professor Bailey takes the view that a subject of commercial importance, one which engages the attention and affects the livelihood of thousands of bright people, is decidedly worthy the investigation of the trained botanist. In the Cyclopedia of American Horticulture, therefore, very full accounts are given of the botanical features of all important commercial plants, as the apple, cabbage, rose, etc. At the same time, practical cultivators submit observations upon culture, marketing, and the like, and frequently two opinions are presented upon the same subject from different localities, so that the reader may have before him not only complete botanical information, but very fully the best practice in the most favorable localities for the perfection of any fruit or vegetable or economic plant. *ILLUSTRATIONS* The pictorial character of the work is likewise notable. There are over two thousand illustrations, and they are all made expressly for this work, either from accurate photographs or from the specimens. These illustrations have been drawn by competent horticultural artists, in nearly every case under the eye of the Editor, or with the supervision of some one of the sub-editors. No “trade” cuts are used. In planning the illustrations, artistic effect has been kept in view, and while no drawing is used which does not show its subject with perfect scientific accuracy, the monotonous so-called “botanical” outlines, often made from lifeless herbarium specimens, are notably absent. The intention is to show the life of the plant, not merely its skeleton. *CONTRIBUTORS, SYSTEM, ETC.* As above mentioned, the contributors are men eminent as cultivators or as specialists on the various subjects. The important articles are signed, and it is expected that the complete work will include fully 5,000 signed contributions by horticulturists, cultivators and botanists. The arrangement is alphabetical as to the genera, but systematic in the species. A very simple but complete plan of key-letters is used, and the whole arrangement is toward ease of reference as well as completeness of information. To each large genus there is a separate alphabetic index. Important commercial subjects are treated usually under the best known name, whether it be the scientific or "common" designation. Thus, the apple is fully discussed as apple, rather than as _Pyrus Malus_, and the carnation comes into view in the third letter of the alphabet, not as _Dianthus Caryophyllus_. Carefully edited cross-references make it easy to find any desired subject, however, in the shortest time.