XCV111 INTRODUCTION. 



name may recall the plant, but not its 

 dearest associations. But, on the other 

 hand, the sphere of these homely native 

 names is very narrowly limited : the number 

 of names that can be used with a certainty 

 of being understood, is astonishingly few. 

 Is it not a thing to be desired, that the 

 use of them could be extended and with 

 them (perhaps) the taste of pure and 

 natural pleasures ? 



Relatively to the organised nomenclature, 

 the vernacular names hold a place of ac- 

 knowledged inferiority. The cause of this 

 is not far to seek : they have had less 

 thought bestowed upon them. 



All language is but voice charged with 

 thought : that which has had little and 

 careless thought given to it will be lax 

 and inexact ; in proportion to the expense 

 of thought with which it has been pur- 

 chased will be the precision of its usage. 

 This statement admits of easy and fami- 

 liar illustration. The area of a language 

 is of very unequal quality, it presents a 

 diversity of surface varying in proportion 

 to the amount of thought that has been 



