DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 169 



commencement by his death. The latest attempts of this 

 kind are by De CandoUe and Schultes. 



Excerpts from these Species plantm'um^ in which only the 

 characters, the best plates, and the native country, are given, 

 have been published by Murray and Persoon. 



Whoever undertakes a new work of the same kind, has 

 duties to perform which ^ew scholars are qualified to fulfil. 

 For it is obvious, that labour alone will not do, nor the sim- 

 ple accumulation of the discoveries and remarks of others ; 

 but that, in the first place, an eye accustomed to the vegeta- 

 ble world for many years, an acute and incorruptible judg- 

 ment, and, above all, that which I have already (245) called 

 the botanical genius, is requisite for this purpose. 



It is an indispensable quahfication that as many plants as pos- 

 sible should have been actually seen and examined. Travels 

 in foreign countries, — the use of great herbaries, — a very com- 

 plete library, — a well stocked garden, — and a general inter- 

 course with the first botanists of the age ; these are the requi- 

 sites to such an undertaking, without the possession of which 

 the whole will be nothing but a work of mere compilation, 

 and of little utility. 



XI. On Collections of Plants, 



Hedwig's Belehrung die Pflanzen zu trocknen und zu ordnen. Gotha, 1797, 

 8vo. 



The most exact descriptions and best plates leave some- 

 thing still to be desired by him who wishes to have a perfect 

 knowledge of a plant. Hence the actual sight and examina- 

 tion of plants is the only mean of obtaining certain informa- 

 tion. Now, in order to have this examination at all times in 

 our power, w^e dry plants ; and this may easily be accom- 

 plished with most of them, — some very juicy plants and 



