IV, PREFACE. 



There is no work which can be introduced into our classes, in but a 

 slight degree fitted for the student's use. The only works that have any 

 claims on our attention for such a use, are Elliott's Sketches of the Botany 

 of South Carolina and Georgia, and Eaton's Manual of Botany, The 

 former of these works, is a noble monument to the genius, untiring labor 

 and perseverance of its distinguished author ; but it is not fitted for a text 

 book in classes, as it contains no directions, analysis, or explanation of 

 terms, which are indispensable accompaniments to elementary works. To 

 the advanced student, this work, although having been published twenty 

 years, is invaluable, and we are sorry to find that it is becoming so scarce. 

 Eaton's Manual has been the means of much good, but on Southern plants 

 it is (as a Botanist recently expressed himself,) little better than a catalogue. 

 The descriptions, brief, as they must be in an elementary work, are in very 

 many cases, not characteristic of the plants described. In short, we have 

 no work on Southern Botany, which occupies the place of Torrey's and 

 Beck's Manuals of the Botany of the Northern and Middle States, Sur- 

 rounded by such circumstances, and having a strong desire that the youth 

 of this land of flowers, should become interested in a subject in every re- 

 spect calculated to elevate, refine, and please, we appealed to persons abun- 

 dantly qualified for the task, to supply this hiatus in elementary works. — 

 "We uniformly received unfavorable replies to our applications ; some ex- 

 cusing themselves from pressure of other duties; others, from the per- 

 plexity of the task. All, however, were anxious that the work should be 

 accomplished, and were willing to lend assistance. 



Under such circumstances, although engaged in one of the most labori- 

 ous, and perplexing employments, we undertook the preparation of the 

 work ourselves ; believing that an imperfect production would be better 

 than none at all. How far we have succeeded in supplying the deficiency 

 complained of, we leave for the public to decide. 



That the work is imperfect, no one is more ready to assert, than the au- 

 thor is to allow. That it contains errors, is equally soon yielded ; and 

 none, but those who have learned it by experience, can be aware of the 

 difficulty of arriving at perfect accuracy in such a production. Works 

 that have passed through several editions, under the direct supervision of 

 distinguished authors, are still blemished with errors. But with all its pre- 

 sent faults, we believe it w^ill be much better than any work extant, in the 

 hands of the student of Southern Botany, We submit it to their use, 

 being perfectly willing to abide by any decision that an enlightened public 

 may pass concerning it. Should it issue from the press, and exhibit not 

 the first living impulse, for the want of public favor, we shall conclude it 

 deserves none, and shall solace ourselves with the reflection, that our aim 

 was good, but we lacked the power to perform what our wishes prompted. 

 On the other hand, should it be received with indulgence, we pledge our 

 constant labors to make it more worthy the approbation of the public for 

 which it is intended. 



But another point of prime importance in the study of Botany is, to 

 group together those plants which are nearly allied by natural affinities. — 



