To His Excellency Marcus Morton, 



Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts : 



Sir, 



Soon after our appointment on the Botanical Survey, my associate, 

 George B. Emerson, Esq., of Boston, consented to take the charge of 

 the trees and shrubs, and to leave the herbaceous plants to my particu- 

 lar attention. In conformity to this arrangement, I early entered upon 

 the work, and have prosecuted it long ; and, in fulfilling the duties of 

 the commission received from the hand of your predecessor in office, 

 I herewith transmit my Report on the Herbaceous part of the Flower- 

 ing Plants. 



Except the necessary systematic arrangement, I have laid aside, to 

 a great extent, the technical language of Botany, as being less con- 

 sistent with the popular object of the Survey. Scientific descriptions 

 have already been published for professed botanists ; these were sup- 

 posed to be designed for the mass of intelligent citizens. 



The cultivated plants form no small part of agricultural wealth, 

 and are the chief source of it. They seem to merit special attention. 

 The cultivation of even ornamental plants is intimately connected 

 with intellectual and moral habits, and a pure and refined taste. It 

 cannot be believed by the benevolent mind, that the Author of nature 

 has spread over the earth the most delicate and rich beauties of plants 

 and flowers, without designing to attract the attention, and gratify the 

 feelings, of men, or that He intended their beauty and fragrance 

 should be wasted " on the desert air." 



Those plants, which have not yet been applied to any valuable 

 purpose, are often minutely described in this Report, to lead to the 

 consideration of the proportion of this part of vegetables, and the 

 great ends designed in this amount of vegetable life. The Introduction 

 to the Report is, in part, occupied with the discussion of this interest- 

 ing subject. 



Your Excellency need not be reminded, that, while the Report re- 

 quired great labor, it also made necessary a previous attention, for 

 years, to the examination of our plants. 



