BOTANICAL SUBJECTS. 7 



we see, to smooth difficulties, and make things clear. Unfortu- 

 nately these very implements of thought now encumber to a large 

 extent this most interesting and fascinating of studies, and tend to 

 make it not only obscure, but to many, repulsive. 



Human life has become so compHcated, and the number of 

 things to be learnt so multitudinous, that he or she, who mav, in 

 any way, help to simplify any part of any branch of knowledge, 

 will, I think, be doing a service to his or her fellows. It is with 

 the view, first, of making things more comprehensible to m}self, 

 and second, of trying to make the whole conception of the plant, 

 in however small a measure, with its infinite forms, characters, and 

 qualities, simple to the mind of the student, that I have ventured 

 to pen these notes. 



It does not seem to me of much importance whether we call 

 the student of plants a botanist, a horticulturist, or a goldsmith. 

 The question is whether what he observes an<l infers in connexion. 

 with plants is true or sound, and what he and others Avould think 

 rational. 



Prof. Max Muller* says, "In writing on religion, even on 

 natural religion, we must turn neither to the right nor to the left, 

 but look at facts straight in the face to see whether they are facts 

 or not, and if they are facts, to find out what they mean." The 

 same may be said of the sciences. 



Mixed up with science there has been, no doubt, too much of 

 what might be called " theology." By this I mean an intolerance 

 of any view, which might not square with the dogmas, or conven- 

 tional notions of science, in spite of the facts that looked at us 

 straight in the face. The science of botauA- has not been free from 

 such dogmas. Unhappily doonias are often the mischief entailed 

 by coining new terms. 



Dogmas stick to them, antl it is often diificidt to clear one's 

 mind of a dogma, when represented by what seems a very 

 apiDropriate term I 



These pages are rather a record of notions, or suggestions, or 

 speculations, tlian an attempt to put before the reader a reasoned 

 out philosophy of plants. They are an endeavour to explain how 

 an evolutionist looks at the facts of Botany, who either was never 

 troubled w^ith dogmas, or if he were, very early divested himself of 



''Forum'' of March 1891. 



