PREFACE. 



This book is designed to serve as an Introduction 

 to the Study of Plants. It does not profess to give a 

 complete account of the Vegetable Kingdom, but 

 only such an outline as will best subserve the pur- 

 poses of the work. 



In its preparation there have been kept in view 

 the wants of the large number, in the schools and 

 out, who wish to obtain, as a branch of a liberal cul- 

 ture, a general knowledge of the structure of plants, 

 with some idea as to their classification into the 

 larger divisions and subdivisions of the Vegetable 

 Kingdom. For this class of students and general 

 readers, what is here given will in most cases be 

 amply sufficient to enable any one to understand the 

 greater part of the current biological literature, in so 

 far as it relates to vegetable organisms. For the 

 student who desires to pursue the subject further, 

 or who intends to make botany a special study, this 

 book aims to lead him to become himself an observer 

 and investigator, and thiTS to obtain at first hand his 

 knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of plants : 

 accordingly the presentation of the matter has been 

 made such as to fit the book for constant use in the 

 Laboratory, the text supplying the outline sketch, 

 which may he filled up by each student, with the aid 

 of the scalpel and compound microscope. 



This book is an expansion and considerable modi- 

 iication of the material of several courses of lectures 



