OF CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 263 



The followers of Linnaeus have unfortunately not always 

 well understood his intention of thus supplying botanists 

 with a mere nomenclature, or, as it has been called, an 

 Artificial System; and the habit of studying the pistils and- 

 stamens has made them attach too great importance to 

 these organs of fructification, while they have neglected 

 the fruit and the seed. They have also, in general paid 

 too much attention to the number of the organs, and not 

 sufficiently considered their relation to each other ; so that, 

 if they have rendered it an easy thing to discover the name 

 of a plant, they have not advanced the science of botany 

 so much as they would have done had they directed their 

 researches more to the general properties of plants. 



Emily. The system of Linnaeus might, I think, be 

 compared to a dictionary, which, though you learnt all 

 the words it contained by heart, you would still be igno- 

 rant of the language, unless you added to it a knowledge 

 of the grammar which teaches the value of the relative 

 terms. 



Mrs. B. Well ; that arrangement, which is called the 

 Natural System, teaches you the grammar. But, in re- 

 ply to your observation, I might retort that a grammar 

 alone is not sufficient to make you acquainted with a lan- 

 guage a dictionary is also necessary, in order to look 

 out for the words ; you must not therefore undervalue bo- 

 tanical dictionaries, which facilitate the study of nomen- 

 clature : yet always bear in mind that they teach only the 

 names of plants ; and that, if you wish at the same time 

 to acquire a general knowledge of their structure, you must 

 study the natural system. 



Emily. That is what I am most anxious to do : pray 

 give us some general idea of it. 



Mrs. B. With pleasure ; but not to-day : we shall ex- 

 amine it when next we meet. In the mean time reflect 

 upon the subject, and endeavor, of your own accord, to 

 discover some mode of classing plants which would most 

 easily show their true analogy. 



Caroline. I will think of it ; but it appears to me a 

 very difficult task. 



1424. In what have the followers of Linnaeus sometimes been unfor- 

 tunate 1 1425. Why have they failed to advance the science of Bota- 

 ny as much as they might! 1426. To what does Emily say the sys- 

 tem might be compared 1 ? 1427. What system teaches the Grammar 

 of Botany! 1428. What comparison does Mrs. B. make between the 

 system of the Linnaeus and the Natural system! 



