PREFACE. 5 



ness it is, by divine appointment, to study and control 

 the productions of earth. Moreover, the volume of Crea- 

 tion is the best commentary on the volume of Revelation, 

 and the more both are studied, the more do we see, that 

 they both come from the same great, wise, and benevo- 

 lent Creator. Not a vestige in the one contradicts an 

 expression in the other; but the more deeply we pene- 

 trate into the mysteries of both, the more do we expe- 

 rience the truth of the Apostle's language — " The invisi- 

 ble things of God, from the creation of the world, are 

 clearly seen, being understood by the things that are 

 made, even his eternal power and godhead." And the 

 more we see and know of his wonderful arrangements, 

 and the inimitable wisdom exhibited in all that he has 

 done, the more impressively does the language of the 

 Psalmist fall upon our spirits, and unite with our own 

 impulses — " O Lord ! how manifold are all thy works ! 

 in wisdom hast thou made them all ; the earth is full 

 of thy riches." 



In the following treatise, we have endeavored to pre- 

 sent to the student an outline of Botany in all its most 

 important relations, as a science. That the book should 

 not exceed the size of a convenient text-book, we have 

 been prevented from entering into many interesting 

 and important particulars, and have been compelled to 

 be brief in our descriptions of plants. Botany has been 

 generally considered as limited to enabling one to deter- 

 mine the name of a flower, and, as studied in our schools 

 and colleges, this is about all it accomplishes. A student 

 thus taught, has just as much claim to any useful knowl- 

 edge of Botany, as one who barely knows the name 

 whale, has, on that account, to a knowledge of that an- 

 imal. To know the names of things, is certainly an im- 

 portant particular, but that such knowledge constitutes 

 any science, is simply absurd. 



Most of the facts and principles contained in the fol- 

 lowing pages, have been subjects of personal observa- 



