

INTRODUCTION. 



It is impossible to gain any but a very superficial 

 knowledge of Botany without learning the scientific 

 names of plants. Even such a small section of the 

 Vegetable Kingdom — less than a fiftieth part of the 

 whole — as are inhabitants of Britain could not be 

 distinguished by any English names that they have. 

 There are, indeed, very few really old English 

 names, for, as we shall see. Botany has only been 

 studied in this country for about three hundred 

 years, and the study commenced by importing both 

 information and names from abroad. This may 

 probably be accounted for by the comparatively small 

 variety of our native plants, and their little use as 

 human food. In the Bible we read of olives, dates, 

 oil, wine, and numerous other vegetable productions ; 

 but our native edible fruits are few, and could never 

 be of much service in the way of supplying the 

 people with food. Our natural sustenance would 

 seem to be chiefly milk and the flesh of cattle for 

 ^Q the inhabitants of the interior, and fish, shell-fish, 

 ^ and sea- weed in the maritime parts. Notwith- 

 c\i standing the great changes that have taken place 

 "^ during the last two thousand years, roast beef is 



