16 INTRODUCTION. 



ing wisdom, cannot be dissected and examined without painful 

 emotions. 



The vegetable world offers a boundless field of inquiry, 

 which may be explored with the most pure and delightful emo- 

 tions. Here the Almighty seems to manifest himself to us with 

 less of that dazzling sublimity which it is almost painful to be- 

 hold in His more magnificent creations ; and it might almost 

 appear, that accommodating the vegetable world to our capa- 

 cities, He had especially designed it for our investigation and 

 amusement. 



The study of Botany naturally leads to greater love and 

 reverence for the Deity. We would not affirm that it does in 

 reality always produce this effect ; for, unhappily, there are 

 some minds which, though quick to perceive the beauties of na- 

 ture, seem, blindly, to overlook Him who spread them forth. 

 They can admire the gifts, while they forget the Giver. But 

 those who feel in their hearts a love to God, and who see in the 

 natural world the workings of His power, can look abroad, and 

 adopting the language of a Christian poet, exclaim, 

 "My Father made them all." 



/ DIVISION OF THE SUBJECT. 



Having endeavoured to convince you that the study you are 

 about to commence, is recommended by its own intrinsic utility, 

 and especially by its tendency to strengthen the understanding 

 and improve the heart, we will now proceed to lay before you 

 the arrangement which we propose to follow in our course of 

 instruction. 



We will divide our course of study into Four Parts, viz. : 

 PART I. Will be chiefly devoted to the Analysis of Plants, or 



lessons in Practical Botany. 



PART II. We shall here consider the various organs of the 

 plant, beginning with the root and ascending to the flower ; 

 this part will include what is usually termed Elementary 

 Botany ; it will also contain remarks upon the uses of the 

 various organs of plants, the nature of vegetable substan- 

 ces, and other circumstances connected with Vegetable 

 Physiology. 



PART III. In this part we shall consider the different systems 

 of Botany. We shall examine some of the most impor- 



Study of the vegetable world The study of Botany tends to piety Divi- 

 sion of the subject into four parts I. Practical Botany II. Vegetable Physi- 

 ologyIll. Systematic Botany. 



