X mXRODUCTION. 



observer is struck with such prominent examples of Nature's 

 beauties, and feels what the poet felt when he wrote : — 



" But who can paiut 

 Like Nature ? Can imaginatiou boast, 

 Amid its gay creation, hues like hers 1 

 Or cau it mix them with that matchless skill, 

 And lose them in each other, as appears 

 In every bud that blows ? " 



But Botany is no longer regarded as a mere accomplishment ; 

 nor is it only to be studied for its beauty. It is a most impor- 

 tant part of a useful education. Indeed, the value of this study 

 is so great that it can scarcely be estimated. 



Most of the early writers upon plants took into consideration 

 only the subject of their usefulness in the art of healing. The 

 study of structure and mode of growth was left to modern times 

 — till after the microscope came to reveal the marvels of plant 

 structure, and bring to light the tissues and vessels that carry 

 on the life and activity of plant growth ; till Chemistry discov- 

 ered the materials that have built up, drop by drop and particle 

 by particle, the plants of the world, from the gray Lichen of 

 the hillside rock to the gigantic forest tree towering four hun- 

 dred feet into the air. 



A knowledge of the geographical locality and habits of plants 

 enables us to select with certainty and transplant the trees and 

 shrubs that beautify our lawns and gardens. To an intelligent 

 agriculturist, an understanding of some of the departments of 

 Botany is indispensable. He must know the habits of vegeta- 

 bles and their mode of growth in order to prepare his ground ; 

 he must know their composition to be able to apply the requi- 

 site food ; and he must know their structure and organs to 

 determine where and how to apply it. In many departments 

 of industry a knowledge of Botany is found invaluable and it 

 lends assistance to the various arts and elegancies of life. 



One of the most interesting departments of this subject deals 

 with the history of the cultivation and use of plants. Their 

 history, in a measure, runs parallel with the world's history. 

 When communities became populous they could no longer 

 depend upon the chase, because the demand outgrew the supply ; 

 and the use of plants for food was a natural result. The needs 



