XIV 



When, in 1844, I commenced the * Phytologist,' which has now 

 appeared, with the utmost regularity, for one hundred and twenty- 

 seven months, there was no journal which could, in any respect, be 

 considered as competing with it for public favour. The ' Annals of 

 Natural History,' indeed, dragged on a languid botanical existence ;, 

 its papers on that science being few, intensely technical, and far 

 between. Now we have three additional monthly journals, exclu- 

 sively botanical, and one semi-botanical, in addition to the ' Transac- 

 tions of the Linnean Society.' 



Robert Brown, the greatest of all our botanists, still stands by the 

 ' Transactions.' 



Sir William Hooker and his friends have the ' London Journal of 

 Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany.' 



Mr. Babington and his friends have the 'Annals.' 



Mr. Henfrey and his friends have the ' Gazette.' 



Mr. Moore, of Chelsea, has the ' Gardener's Magazine of Botany.' 



Messrs. Mcintosh and Morris have the ' Naturalist.' 



I am quite willing to believe that, in some of these instances, a pure 

 love of the science is the mainspring of action ; but I fear that, in 

 others, a mistaken and very exaggerated view of the profits of the 

 'Phytologist' has induced what, in every instance, must be charac- 

 terized a friendly competition. Let me assure the editors, and sub- 

 editors, and assistant editors, that my feeling is as friendly as their 

 own ; and that I not only take, but read, every one of their periodi- 

 cals, and always comment approvingly on such of their contents as I 

 think likely to recommend them to the favourable notice of my readers. 

 Let me also add, as a word of advice to those who are less ex- 

 perienced than myself in thus catering for a botanical public, that 

 perseverence and liberality are the great secrets of success. It is a 

 mistaken notion, that because our readers are few labour is unneces- 

 sary; and that the smallest possible pennyworth is to be given for 

 the penny. In my own instance, I have rejected this principle : I have 

 made the volume/ for this year more bulky than that of any previous 



