12 



INTRODUCTION. 



history of the plants of all countries.* The Linnsean 

 Society is also famed for possessing the herbarium of 

 Linnaeus, which was purchased of his heirs by the late 

 eminent botanist Sir James Edward Smith, and after 

 his death by the Linnsean Society, in 1829, for 3000Z' 

 This collection consists of 13,000 sheets, of which many 

 are unnamed ; allowing for duplicates, the number of 

 species may be estimated at about 10,000. These col- 

 lections, as a whole, afford ample scope for scientific 

 botanists, as well as amateurs, to obtain a knowledge of 

 plants, and of their uses in domestic economy and com- 

 merce. The formation of the above specially noticed col- 

 lections is due to the united labours of plant collectors, 

 but attended with considerable expense, risk, and even 

 loss of life. Of fifty public, private, and special plant 

 collectors employed during the present century, about 

 twenty-five became victims, chiefly to the effects of 

 climate, to accidents, and to violence from the hands of 

 savages. 



What is now stated relates to this country only, for it 

 must be understood that botany is also highly patronized 

 by the principal governments of Europe, as well as by 

 the United States of North America. 



The foregoing briefly explains the nature and im- 

 portance of plants, and the interest man has in studying 

 their properties and classification. The principles on 

 which the latter is founded are explained in the first part 

 of this work ; their properties and uses are described in 

 the second part. 



* See Appendix. 



