LKCT. l.j OF BOTANICAL SCIENCE. 37 



swering the purposes for which it was intended. 

 Indeed, on examining the whole vegetable king- 

 dom, the attempt to divide it into natural orders 

 and families offers difficulties which, in our pre- 

 sent state of knowledge, appear insurmountable. 

 The artificial method of classification was there- 

 fore thought of; and that of Linnaeus is the best 

 and most perfect that has yet been contrived. 

 I will not now even hint at the construction of 

 this system; but merely observe, that, although 

 it is an artificial system, yet that it is founded 

 on the most correct observation of the pheno- 

 mena of the vegetable kingdom ; and plants are 

 arranged by it under Genera and Species, as the 

 individuals discover in the essential parts of the 

 flower common properties and a natural affinity. 

 This the young Botanist must study with the 

 greatest care. Without a knowledge of it no 

 one can be accounted a Botanist; and, by means 

 of an acquaintance with it, the mepiory becomes 

 capable of retaining a recollection of the charac- 

 teristic features of all the plants, which already so 

 greatly swell the vegetable catalogue; and the 

 number of which is every day increasing. This, 

 however, cannot be attained from the perusal of 

 books ; an appeal must be made to Nature, and 

 plants examined in their growing state. In order 

 to do this in a proper manner, as far as the plants 

 of our own country are concerned, the Botanical 



D 3 



