^^8 Observatiom on Humboldt's Works 



rangenient of plants, belongs to the philosophy of botany; and 

 cannot be treated of in the geography of plants, unless a most 

 arbitrary extension be given to the latter phrase, entirely at va- 

 riance with the meaning of the words, and every idea hitherto 

 associated with them. So little, likewise, can the influence of 

 vegetables upon atmospheric air be an object of this science, 

 that it, on the contrary, belongs to the province of physics ; or, 

 if it must be treated of in the science of botany, it is certainly a 

 part of the physiology of vegetables. The inquiry also respect- 

 ing those plants to which the disintegration of different species 

 of rocks is owing, belongs principally to mineralogy. The same 

 may be remarked of the question as to what plants are chiefly 

 concerned in the production of vegetable mould. Of the five 

 points, then, here given by the author, the second only belongs 

 to tlie geography of plants. But this does not include every 

 thing that belongs to the science. That the author should give 

 such a definition of the geography of plants, in the year 1793, 

 was not very blamcable considering the state of the science at 

 that period ; but that he should at this time repeat it, when 

 Professor Stromeyer* has so fully and satisfactorily established 

 the objects, of this branch of science, and when so much has been 

 done in it by that gentleman and others, is so much the more 

 surprising, as there is a striking difference between his own 

 Essay and the present Treatise, in this respect f. 



On the other hand, the distinction which the author has made 

 between the Geography and the History of Plants, merits 

 entire commendation ; and is so natural, that one cannot but 

 justly wonder why it has not been retained by himself, and by 

 another writer subsequent to him. M. Humboldt, in his Essay, 

 includes both sciences under the title Geography of Plants; 

 but the subjects enumerated at p. xiv. belong to the geography, 

 and those at p. xix.— xxii., to the history, of plants. Wildenow:^ 



- * Commentatio inauguralis sistens historiae vegetabilium g-eographicae 

 specimen.— Gottingae, 1800. 



t Essai sur la G6ographie des Plantes et tableau physique des regions 

 eqnatoriales.— Another preceding work of the author. T. 



X Grundriss dor Kraiiterkundc. 7. Abtheilung. 



