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CONCLUSION. 



THE great Linnaeus, to whom the whole 

 race of naturalists must ever feel largely 

 indebted, was the first who struck out a method 

 that has permanently continued, for the classifi- 

 cation of plants. This system (of which the 

 great outlines or classes are given in a tabular 

 view in the Appendix (A),) is grounded on the 

 arrangements of the reproductive organs, and 

 although it is in a great measure artificial, yet 

 nevertheless it is so practically useful, that it 

 has hitherto maintained its ground, and may 

 probably continue to do so in great measure, 

 although there are serious objections to it ; 

 chiefly because, being artificial, it does not lead 

 a student to the knowledge of the properties, 

 &c. of plants, but only enables him to iden- 

 tify and arrange them. A sense of the insuffi- 

 ciency of this method has led modern systema- 

 tists to form a classification, called the Natural 

 System, because founded on the natural affini- 

 ties, characters, and habits of plants, which is 



