212 SCIENCE OF THE STUDY OF TREES. PART II. 



of trees and shrubs, or of any description of natural object arranged in this 

 way, however much the names of the objects may in future be changed, the 

 descriptions of the objects will always be found associated together in the 

 same group, or in groups nearly adjoining. Hence, also, when a plant is 

 received, the name of which is unknown, its nature may be anticipated, by 

 observing its resemblance to some group already known. 



It is a common opinion among those who know little of scientific botany, 

 that the natural system is only adapted to those who intend to become pro- 

 found in the science ; and that for practical men, and for amateurs, who 

 merely aspire to a slight degree of knowledge, the Linnsean system is the 

 best. There never was a greater mistake. To become master of the na- 

 tural system requires, indeed, much study and perseverance ; but the posses- 

 sion of such a degree of knowledge of it as shall be of far greater use to 

 the cultivator, to the medical man, to the traveller, and to the amateur, 

 than the most profound knowledge of the Linnasan system, may be easily 

 acquired by any person of ordinary capacity. In fact, every child who is in 

 the habit of seeing a great many trees, shrubs, and plants, though he does 

 not know a single botanical name, may be said to understand, to a certain 

 extent, the natural system ; because, to preserve order in his ideas, and to 

 assist his memory, he is obliged to throw all the conspicuous plants that 

 come before him into groups palpably distinct. He would thus form the 

 three grand classes of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants ; and among the 

 trees he would readily distinguish, and group together in his mind, the broad- 

 leaved and the fir-leaved, the deciduous and the evergreen, the fruit-bearing 

 and the barren. Among herbaceous plants, he would distinguish the grasses 

 as an obviously distinct class ; the bulbous flowers as another, and so on. 

 These divisions, so far as they go, are made on the same principles as the 

 natural system ; that is, things are brought together, or called by one com- 

 mon name, on account of their general resemblance; that general resem- 

 blance comprehending the whole botanical science of the individuals drawing 

 the distinction. All the difference, therefore, between the natural system 

 of the most learned botanist, and that of the most ignorant country labourer, 

 consists in the former having gone more profoundly into the subject ; and 

 having his knowledge founded on principles deduced from the facts accumu- 

 lated by his predecessors, and not merely on personal experience. In short, 

 all sciences not purely abstract are founded on some simple instinct of our 

 nature, which is perceptible in the customs, not only of ignorant persons 

 in civilised society, but of the rudest savages. 



We shall not longer occupy our time in contrasting the advantages of a 

 natural arrangement in describing trees and shrubs, either with an alphabeti- 

 cal one, or with the system of Linnaeus, or any other artificial system. 



Sect. II. Of the Distinction between Species and Varieties in Trees 



and Shrubs. 



This is an intricate subject; and it is one which we are well aware we shall 

 not be able to treat in a manner that will be satisfactory to all our readers. 

 The reason of this is to be found in the difficulty of determining what are 

 species, or natural and permanent forms ; and what forms are accidental, or 

 the result of culture, soil, situation, disease, &c, or of cross fecundation ; 

 and because the present disposition of botanists seems to be to multiply spe- 

 cies rather than to diminish their number. 



When we look into a modern catalogue of plants, we are astonished, and 

 almost confounded, by the great number of specific names which are ranked 

 under one generic name. If we endeavour, by inspecting the names more 

 particularly, to discover any relationship between them, we are utterly at a 

 loss. One name is, perhaps, an adjective denoting colour, or some other 

 property belonging to the plant , another indicates the native country of the 

 species ; and a third shows that it has been named in commemoration of 



