vi. 



PREFACE. 



scientific correctness in establishments of economic horticulture or 

 in technologic or other educational collections. If the line of 

 demarcation between the plants admissible into this list and those 

 which should have been excluded has occasionally been extended 

 in favour of the latter, then it must be pleaded, that the final im- 

 portance of any particular species for a peculiar want, locality or 

 treatment cannot often be fully foretold. Many plants of primary 

 importance for our rural requirements alluded to now have long 

 since been secured by the intelligent early pioneers of our colo- 

 nisation, who timely strove to emich also our cultural resoiu-ces, 

 and in these efibrts the wiiter, so far as his public or private means 

 did CA^er permit, has endeavoured for the past quarter of a century 

 to take an honourable share. But although such plants are intro- 

 duced, they are not in all instances as yet widely diffused, nor in 

 all desirable localities tested. For the sake of completeness even 

 the most ordinary cultural plants have not been passed, as the 

 opportunity seemed an apt one, to offer a few cursory remarks on 

 their value. The writer entertains a hope, that a copy of this plain 

 volume will be placed in the library of each of our State-schools, 

 to serve educational purposes also by occasional and perhaps 

 frequent reference to these pages. The increased ease of commu- 

 nication, which has latterly arisen between Australia and most 

 other parts of the globe, places us here now in a faii^ position for 

 independent efforts, to promote introductions of new vegetable 

 treasures from unexplored regions, or to submit neglected plants 

 of promising value to unbiassed original tests. May it merely be 

 instanced, that after the lapse of more than three centuries only 

 the most scanty information is extant on the timber of Mexico, 

 and that of several thousand tropical grasses not many dozen are 

 tried for pastoral purposes. For inquiries of such kind every 

 civilised State is striving to afford in well-planned, thoughtfully 

 directed and generously supported special scientific establishments 

 the needful aid, not merely for adding to the prosperity, comfort 

 and enjoyment of the present generation, but also with an antici- 

 pation of earning the gratitude of posterity, and this as a rule is 

 done with a sensitive jealousy, to maintain also thereby for scientific 



