HISTORY OF BOTANY. 21& 



ed valuable for food and seasoning. Many of the labiate plants, as 

 thyme, sage, &c., are used in cookery. The Cruciform family af- 

 ford the cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, &c. ; the Leguminous family, 

 beans, peas, &c. 



The Cucurbitaceae furnish us with melons, squashes, and cucum- 

 bers ; umbelliferous plants, with the aromatics, caraway, coriander, 

 &c., which are useful in medicine and confectionary. 



The plants chiefly used in domestic economy differ in different 

 climates and countries; some, as many kinds of grain and grasses, 

 are in common use in all countries ; while others, as the bread-fruit 

 and plantain, are only used in the few countries which produce 

 them. The bread-corn of the temperate climates, is chiefly wheat, 

 rice, and maize ; rice is a substitute for these in warm countries, and 

 barley in cold countries. 



The esculent roots of the old world, are chiefly the yam, carrot, 

 and turnip ; of the new, the potato. 



The pot-herbs, such as the cabbage, sea-kale, and others of the cru- 

 ciform family, are used in temperate climates ; in hot cUmates they 

 are little used. Legumes furnish an important article of food in most 

 pai'ts of the old world, and in North America. 



LECTURE LIL 



HISTORY OF BOTANY, PROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, TO THE REVIVAL OF 

 LETTERS IN THE REIGN OF CHARLEMAGNE, A. D. 770. 



We now propose to give a brief sketch of the progress of botani- 

 cal knowledge ; and as this is closely connected with other branches 

 of natural science, a history of the advancement of the one will ne- 

 cessarily be, in some degree, a record of the march of the others. 

 Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and Botany, were all nursed in the 

 same cradle, and thus grew and gained strength side by side ; 

 though Botany (at first rude and imperfect) may be considered the 

 elder sister. 



After becoming famihar with a science, the mind naturally seeks 

 for information respecting its origin, and the progress by which it 

 advanced from the first rude conceptions which might have been 

 formed, to its gradual development and comparative perfection. 

 The history of the progress of a science makes a part of the science 

 itself; we are interested in the various efforts of philosophers, their 

 experience and observations, and the trains of reasoning by which 

 they arrived at those conclusions which constitute the basis of the 

 science. 



In Botany, as in the other sciences, physical wants were the first 

 guides ; man at first sought to find in vegetables, food, then remedies 

 for diseases, and lastly, amusement and instruction. 



The first account of plants may be traced to the history of the cre- 

 ation by Moses. It was on the third day of this great work that 

 God said, " Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, 

 and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind, ■w?wse seed is in itself, 

 upon the earth : and it was so ; and the earth brought forth grass, 

 and the herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, 



Melons— Umbelliferous plants— Bread-corn— Pot-herbs— Legumes— History of bo- 

 tanical science--Why do we wish to learn the progress of science 7 -First account 0/ 

 plants traced to the history of the creation. 



