M52 



No one who has had experience of the progress of Botany as a science 

 can doubt that it has been more impeded in this country by the repulsive 

 appearance of the names which it employs than by any other cause whatever, 

 and that, in fact, this has proved an invincible obstacle to its becoming the 

 serious occupation of those who are unacquainted with the learned languages, 

 or wlio, being acquainted with them, are fastidious about euphony and Greek 

 or Latin purity. — Dr. Lindley. 



Botany has this great practical advantage over all other sciences as a 

 means of i^niversal culture, that the materials are the most generally accessible 



of any scientific material in the world What is needed is that its 



terminology should be popularised Historicallj' almost the first of 



sciences, botany is naturally and eductionally first in order to the enquiring 

 mind. Its objects are near our homes, awakening to our minds, and inviting 

 to our touch. Botany is adapted to be the universal preparatory science, the 

 science to infuse the scientific sense. "WTiy should we allow a pile of hetero- 

 geneous names to stand as a barrier between our people and the fairest gate of 

 knowledge ? These strange names are all but barren of interest in themselves ; 

 what interest they possess springs wholly out of the objects thej- represent. 

 The objects and their mutual relations might be learnt quite as effectually 

 through congenial names, if only one-thousandth part of the labour that has 

 been expended on those were bestowed on these. — Prof. Eaele, " English 

 Plant Kames," p. cix. 



