CONCLUSION. 177 



proved in later editions, became the standard ref- 

 erence-book for all botanists in that portion of the 

 country, and for more than the third of a century 

 held this ground undisputed, until the larger and 

 more modern works of Dr. Gray superseded it. 

 Dr. Bigelow published other works ; and, although 

 these are not now in use as text-books, they still 

 hold an important place among books of reference. 

 All this came from a hobby. 



Without an object we walk aimlessly, we read 

 aimlessly, we think aimlessly. Without a hobby 

 no great man would be great. The child who 

 collects postage-stamps learns something of geog- 

 raphy ; and the coin-collector must acquire some- 

 thing of history, that he may properly arrange his 

 coins. Too little attention is given, in our sys- 

 tems of education, to particular tastes. Our pub- 

 lic schools turn out children of the first, second, 

 or third degree of education, as our cotton-facto- 

 ries do their qualities of cloth ; or they are as- 

 sorted, as we screen coal or stones, by the size of 

 the mesh in the netting over which they are 

 thrown. To pay any such attention, even in a 

 small degree, to the individuality of scholars, 

 would demand an indefinite increase in the num- 

 ber of our public teachers ; and perhaps all that 

 can be hoped for is, that we shall find some pro- 

 vision for it in our best private schools and col- 

 leges. But every person, old or young, outside of 



