THE 



NATUEAL HISTOEY OF PLANTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



THE STUDY OF PLANTS IN ANCIENT AND IN MODERN TIMES. 



Plants considered from the point of view of utility. — Description and classification of plants. — 

 Doctrine of metamorphosis and speculations of nature-philosophy.— Scientific method based on 

 the history of development. — Objects of botanical research at the present day. 



PLANTS CONSIDEEED FEOM THE POINT OF VIEW OF UTILITY. 



Some years ago I rambled over the mountain district of North Italy in the 



lovely month of May. In a small sequestered valley, the slopes of which were 



densely clad with mighty oaks and tall shrubs, I found the flora developed in all 



its beauty. There, in full bloom, was the laburnum and manna-ash, besides 



broom and sweet-brier, and cotintless smaller shrubs and grasses. From every 



bush came the song of the nightingale; and the whole glorious perfection of a 



southern spring morning filled me with delight. Speaking, as we rested, to my 



guide, an Italian peasant, I expressed the pleasure I experienced in this wealth 



of laburnum blossoms and chorus of nightingales. Imagine the rude shock 



to my feelings on his replying briefly that the reason why the laburnum was so 



luxuriant was that its foliage was poisonous, and goats did not eat it; and that 



though no doubt there were plenty of nightingales, there were scarcely any hares 



left. For him, and I daresay for thousands of others, this valley clothed with 



flowers was nothing more than a pasture-ground, and nightingales were merely 



things to be shot. 



This little occurrence, however, seems to me characteristic of the way in which 



the great majority of people look upon the world of plants and animals. To their 



minds animals are game, trees are timber and fire-wood, herbs are vegetables (in 



the limited sense), or perhaps medicine or provender for domestic animals, whilst 



flowers are pretty for decoration. Turn in what direction I would, in every 



country where I have travelled for botanical purposes, the questions asked by the 



inhabitants were always the same. Everywhere I had to explain whether the 



plants I sought and gathered were poisonous or not; whether they were efficacious 



as cures for this or that illness; and by what signs the medicinal or otherwise 

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