Familiar Lessons in Botany 



CHAPTER I. 

 Introdtiction, 



1. That science which treats of the vegetable kingdom 

 we call Botany. The name is derived from a Greek word, 

 Mane, which signifies plant. It tells iis not only the 

 names of grasses, herbs, flowers, and trees, but also how 

 they grow and where; what they feed upon, and what they 

 produce. 



2. You will at once perceive the importance of this study 

 and its intimate connection with agriculture, manufactures, 

 chemistry, and the arts. A moment's reflection will also 

 suggest the names of many well-knoAvn food-plants, as 

 Indian corn, wheat, rye, oats, pease, beans, potatoes, cofiee, 

 tea, cocoa, and sugar-cane ; clothing-plants, as cotton, 

 ramie, flax, and hemp; dye-plants, as indigo, madder, woad, 

 logwood, safiron, alkanet, etc. ; medical plants, as poppy, 

 aloes, jalap, Peruvian bark, etc. 



3. To this kingdom the chemist turns as the great 

 laboratory in which are the products that challenge his 

 researches, and at the same time verify the truth of his 

 speculations. Here he sees Nature quietly transforming 



1, What is that Fciencc called which treats of the vegetable kingdom? From 

 what is the word derived ? What does botany tell us ? 



2. Mention the names of some clothing-plants. Food-plants. Medicine. Dye- 

 plants. 



3* What does the chemist see ? 



