HISTORICAL SKETCH. 11 



Lastly general Works on Botany are indis- 

 pensable to all those who wish to know well 

 the plants of these and other consimilar regions. 

 The works of Linneus, Wildenow,Persoon,Vit- 

 man, Homer and Shultze, Sprengel, Decandole, 

 I, an Kirk, Marty n, and Smith in Rees Cyclope- 

 dia, profess to describe all the known plants of 

 the earth ; and altho' they all lack many yet, 

 they give us the gradual knowledge of the im- 

 proving Science. 



In Loudun Cyclopedia of plants we find only 

 the plants cultivated in England, in Dumont 

 Botaniste Cultivateur those in France. In 

 Aiton Hortus Kewensis many American plants 

 were first described, and others are now yearly 

 in the Botanical Register of Lindley, Bot. ma- 

 gaz. of Hooker. 



But as many of our plants have been mistaken 

 elsewhere, or blended with akin foreign plants, 

 it is even often necessary for the exact Botan- 

 ist to consult the original works on the plants of 

 the Antilles, Europe, Sibiria and Japan. The 

 floras Jamaicensis of Brown, Swartz, Lunan 

 hortus Jamaicensis, Gmelin flora Sibirica, 

 Thunberg flora Japonica, and the floras of 

 England and France, must occasionally be stu- 

 died to verify our plants. Many new sp. have 

 been mistaken by them for ours. 



In all these writings there is something to 

 glean or to learn. Thus the correct Botanist 

 has an ample field even in comparing Books, 

 ascertaining Synonyms, similarities and diver- 

 tities He must have a rich Herbarium besides 

 or else many to study and consult. How few 

 of our Botanists take this trouble ? they prefer 

 compiling, copying errors and misnomers. How 

 few visit the great Herbalsof Muhlenberg, Nut- 



