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ANALYTICAL CLASS-BOOK OF BOTAl^Y. 



refresting drink. Nor less agreeable is the milk of the 

 Ceylon Cow-tree (Gymneura lactifera), which the na- 

 tives use exactly as we do milk. But by far the most 

 interesting and remarkable tree of this kind is the Cow- 

 tree of South America, Galactodendron utile, which first 

 became known through the researches of Humboldt. 

 When an incision is made in the trunk of this tree, a 

 fragrant, oily, and sweet liquid flows forth, very similar 

 to animal milk, and in sufiicient quantity to refresh and 

 satisfy the hunger of several persons. It is seen in 

 fig. 14. 



567. The sap of the Sugar-cane, the Rock-Maple, 

 Birch, and some other trees, affords sugar. The drug 

 known in commerce as Arnotto, and so much used for its 

 beautiful orange dye, is an extract from the Bixa Orel- 

 lana, which belongs to a genus of tropical shrubs, but 

 attains the height of a large tree in Guiana. Varnishes 

 are composed of resinous substances, dissolved either in 

 oils or alcohol. ' The most important of these are the 

 Copal, Shel-lac, and Turpentine Varnishes. 



568. The beautiful coloring substance known as In- 

 digo, is obtained from the fermented juice of Indigofera 

 tinctoria, a leguminous plant, native of India. The 

 Dyer's-weed, Genista tinctoria, is also a leguminous 

 European plant, the whole of which yields a fine yellow, 

 and, combined with Woad, green. 



569. In fine, it may be said that there is no art 

 known among us which does not depend on the Vege- 

 table World for its materials, in some form or other ; 

 and there is no condition, or circumstance of life, which 

 is not equally dependent. Plants are the great Chemists 

 of the world ; for by processes which the most learned 

 Scholar in vain attempts to imitate, they transform crude 

 mineral matter into the elements of organic forms. They 

 are the first workers — the universal providers. 

 Stationed at the basis of all vital activity, they are con- 

 tinually extracting from the great Granary of the At- 



mosphere the food of all living beings — the ELEMEN'fx.itir 



AND SUSTAINING PRINCIPLES of all LiPE. 



570. You have now completed the vegetable cycle, 

 having reviewed the life of the whole plant, from the 

 Germinating Seed, through the developed organism. 

 Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower, and Fruit, to the seed again ; 

 and thus finally returning with it once more to the earth, 

 you have reconsidered that wonderful process which lies 

 at the basis of all life. I would ask you here not to re- 

 gard this science as a huge bundle of dead Facts and 

 severe Principles, which are bound together by strange 

 and uncouth terms, but rather as a living nucleus, 

 through which every individual mind may continually 

 develope new truths, that shall be for ever quick with 

 immortal life and beauty. Look not on plants with the 

 hard and cold eyes of a mere Collector — a hoarder of dry 

 specimens — ^but study their physiognomy, expression, 

 character, significance, and power — in short, all that dis- 

 tinguishes them in the structure and combination of their 

 several parts, their relations with each other, and with 

 the world at large ; for only in this mode of study can 

 the mind attain to that free and generous expansion, 

 which is the highest happiness. Be not wholly satisfied 

 with this, or any other book of the kind, but Study 

 Nature. Those books are the best which present the 

 clearest views of Nature. And when holding up the 

 mirror to her beautiful face, in the bright glimpses they 

 afford, even if they themselves are forgotten, still they 

 do the most that books can do — for they attract to the 

 more informing study of the Divine in Nature — the 

 Wisdom, Beauty, and Love which, in all created forms, 

 every where proclaim the goodness of the Creator, 

 And of all these way-side Ministers of Blessing, who 

 would not rather sit down and listen to the bright-eyed 

 Flowers, that, with their odorous breath, for ever testify 

 so lovingly of Him to whom we look up, in the name and 

 blessing of all things, and call Our Father ? 



