his true state of nature, seems to be subsisted by 

 spontaneous vegetation : in middle climes, where 

 grasses prevail, he mixes some animal food with the 

 produce of the field and garden : and it is towards 

 the polar extremes only that, like his kindred bears 

 and wolves, he gorges himself with flesh alone, and 

 is driven to what hunger has never been known to 

 compel the very beasts, to prey on his own species. 



The productions of vegetation have had a vast 

 influence on the commerce of nations, and have been 

 the great promoters of navigation, as may be seen 

 in the articles of sugar, tea, tobacco, opium, ginseng, 

 betel, paper, &c. As ever}'^ climate has its peculiar 

 produce, our natural wants bring on a mutual inter- 

 course ; so that by means of trade each distant part 

 is supplied with the growth of every latitude. But 

 without the knowledge of plants and their culture 

 we must have been content with our hips and haws, 

 without enjoying the delicate fruits of India and the 

 salutiferous drugs of Peru. 



Instead of examining the minute distinctions of 

 every various species of each obscure genus, the 

 botanist should endeavour to make himself ac- 

 quainted with those that are useful. You shall see 

 a man readily ascertain every herb of the field, yet 

 hardly know wheat from barley, or at least one sort 

 of wheat or barley from another. 



But of all sorts of vegetation the grasses seem 

 to be most neglected ; neither the farmer nor the 



lOO 



