C'ONGLrsiON. 03 



Another instance, more recent still, is met in 

 the labors of Hooker, a clever botanist, once a 

 Linneist, but now tryini? to adopt the natural 

 method ; wlierein he brinirs the detects and ab- 

 surdities of Linneus. I have detected a crowd 

 of generic and specific mistakes in his Flora 

 Boreali Americana, and in the new series of the 

 Botanical Magazine written by him, he falls 

 into the most palpable errors as to genera and 

 Species. In his 8th volume alone there are 30 

 plants out of 00 reduced to wrong genera. 



If such is yet the actual course of eminent 

 Botanists, the copists and compilers follow the 

 same tract ; even my old friend Torrey in Ame- 

 rica, deems that to follow or creep on their 

 steps is quite needful, whatever be the glaring 

 blunders they may commit; the fear of innova- 

 tion, and of improving the Science too quickly 

 is the prevailing feeling. 



For my part I entertain no such fear, and 

 should wish to see Botany reaching a greater 

 perfection in my days ; but if it is a hopeless 

 wish, I will at least do something towards it. 



Whoever will imitate my zeal, must attend 

 with care to the intrinsic value of organic char- 

 acters, and their relative importance, in Orders, 

 Genera and Species. This is the test of a real 

 follower of natural affinities, bases of the Natur- 

 al system of Botany. Their neglect is the sure 

 evidence of arbitrary Botany. 



This knowledge teaches us that the import- 

 ance of floral organs stands in the following or- 

 der, in Phenogamous plants. 



1. Pistil and fruit — whether free or coales- 

 cent, simple or multiple, definite or indefinite, 

 with one or several stigmas, with or without 

 style, &c. 



