Decembee 13, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



815 



while in the employ of the Count von Horn, of 

 Oermany, as private chaplain, devoted himself 

 vrith great zeal to the study of horticulture, and 

 laid out a garden for his master according to the 

 requirements of the art of gardening at that 

 time. Later on when this gentleman had re- 

 turned to Sweden he planted a garden, in which 

 were grown a number of species not previously 

 cultivated in his native country. It was among 

 these plants that Carl's father, Nils Linnaeus, 

 acquired a lasting interest in gardening, and 

 several years afterwards, while a stvident at the 

 University of Lund, he busied himself learning 

 the Latin names of various kinds of plants, and 

 ' put up with his own hand ' an herbarium vivum 

 of fifty plants. This was somewhat unusual for 

 a student at that time. While rector at Sten- 

 brohult Nils Linnaeus in his turn had a garden, 

 which surpassed everything before seen in that 

 part of the country, and in which were found 

 several hundred exotic, mostly ornamental. 



All of Linnaeus' biographers tell of his early 

 fascination for the beauties of flowers. We have 

 heard the story of his own little plantation, 

 maintained in a corner by itself and duplicating 

 most things grown about the parsonage. We are 

 "' informed that at the age of four his curiosity 

 prompted him to make inquiries of his parents 

 for the names and properties of different plants 

 and to go out into the fields and meadows to 

 look for flowers. It is well known that the 

 predilections of the child early matured into 

 the earnest inquiries of the student and the in- 

 vestigator. On this point there have been no 

 opportunities for Action or exaggeration. Not 

 so with some other features of his earlier life. 

 He has by some been represented as a stupid 

 scholar in everything not pertaining to natural 

 history. On this point Prof. Fries brings forth 

 evidence that such was not the case. 



The records of the gymnasium show that Carl 

 Linnaeus was regularly promoted, from year to 

 year, through the several classes of the prepara- 

 tory school and that he was in due time pro- 

 moted to the Wexio gymnasium at the age of 

 seventeen, ranking eleventh in a class of eighteen 

 members. The author admits that Linnaeus 

 neglected the studies of theology, Hebrew, 

 composition and philosophy (logic), which sub- 



jects were then regarded as the most important 

 ones, as nearly all of the students were sup- 

 posed to prepare for the clerical profession or 

 to take up, later on, an administrative career. 

 In mathematics and in physics Linnaeus was 

 always among the best students in the class. 

 In the Latin language he was quite proflcient, 

 even for the times he lived in, as is evident 

 from the ease with which he used this language 

 in his writings. 



Prof Fries throws some new light on one cir- 

 cumstance which has been quite generally mis- 

 understood. The teachers at Wexio have been 

 made the objects of much unjust censure from 

 Linnaeus' biographers for having advised his 

 father to take the young man out of school and 

 have him learn some trade. Even Linnaeus 

 himself in his older days of failing memory refers 

 to the advice of these men in a piquant manner. 

 But it is quite probable that this advice was 

 given in the way of emphasizing their disap- 

 proval of the young man's neglect of some of 

 his studies. Considered from this point of view, 

 it was quite natural and proper for the teachers 

 to give such advice to the parent of a son, who 

 had slighted several of the subjects regarded 

 as of the greatest importance for his future. 

 The same course would no doubt be taken by 

 the teachers in our own schools of to-day. The 

 ridicule and the criticisms of these men have 

 evidently been prompted by a desire to give a 

 brighter lustre to a great name. 



In a similar way it has been represented that 

 on his departvire for the University of Lund 

 Linnaeus was not properly recommended by the 

 rector of Wexio gymnasium in this gentleman's 

 letter of dismissal. But it is pointed out that this 

 letter itself must silence such representations. 

 The rector wrote : "As nature in the vegetable 

 kingdom offers pleasant spectacles when she 

 hastens and favors the growth of the plants as 

 they are removed to a new place, so the muses 

 pleasantly exercise their power when bidding 

 young men with great talents take up their 

 studies at another place, ^j. ^ With this purpose 

 the muses now call .j^ ^ Carl Linnaeus, a particu- 

 larly excellent young man, of a good family, 

 etc., from our gymnasium to the University." 

 Then follow the usual good wishes for the future 

 welfare of the scholar. The rector in this let- 



