FOREWORD 



OF recent years there has come into man's life 

 a new joy. This joy is the acquaintance- 

 ship with plants. Nature has long been ready to 

 reveal her secrets, but only to those prepared to 

 hear and see. Gradually a new understanding has 

 arisen between Nature and mankind, and as a re- 

 sult we obtain from such a revelation a joy un- 

 dreamed of a few years ago. 



In no department of the sciences has this awak- 

 ening to truth been more in evidence than in bot- 

 any. Plants no longer are lifeless things labelled 

 and grouped under ponderous Latin titles ; they are 

 highly developed organisms, which see, hear, taste, 

 feel, walk, swim, run, fly, jump, skip, hop, roll, 

 tumble, set traps and catch fish ; decorate themselves 

 that they may attract attention ; powder their faces ; 

 imitate birds, animals, serpents, stones; play hide 

 and seek ; blossom underground ; protect their chil- 

 dren, and send them forth into the world prepared 

 to care for themselves indeed, do all those things 

 which we ourselves do ! We know now that plants 

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