158 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



time subsequently relinquished shoemaking 

 for what has been called the " more lucrative 

 employment of a baker." The duties of his 

 trade, however, soon devolved upon his wife. 

 The instinct was too strong within him to be 

 subdued by " loaves ; " and it was at this time 

 that he did his most solid work in botany. 

 There is abundant testimony that he had 

 now become so well known as to enjoy the 

 friendship of some eminent scientific contem- 

 poraries. 



To come to Wilson's life-work. His book was 

 certainly the first English one on systematic 

 botany. It became then what Hooker's 

 Student's Flora of the British Isles is to-day. 

 He called it A Synopsis of British Plants, in 

 Mr. Ray's method ; and of the plants treated he 

 described the character, description, place of 

 growth, time of flowering, and "physical virtues." 

 Enlightened as he was, how could he dare at 

 that time to publish a book on botany without 

 giving the " physical virtues ? " These latter 

 characteristics were said to be set down " ac- 

 cording to the most accurate observation " and 

 " the best modern authors ? " To the whole 

 was added a botanical dictionary, a most valu- 



