vi 



PREFACE. 



as freely as if they were original words of our mother- 

 tongue ; and there is no reason why the two important 

 botanical words, Cryptogamia and Fhcenogamia^ should not 

 be equally familiar and as well understood. Many other 

 examples may be given of Greek words being in common 

 use — such as Telegraph, Geography, Thermometer, Baro- 

 meter, Microscope, Polytechnic, Panorama — and it would 

 require very little practice to call Kew Gardens Phytological 

 Gardens as readily as we speak of the Zoological Gardens* in 

 the Regent's Park. Many say they wish they could reside at 

 Kew for a time, in order to have the opportunity of study- 

 ing Botany by the examination of the extensive collection of 

 exotics in the Botanic Gardens ; this is not, however, neces- 

 sary, as every garden, field, park, common, road, and river- 

 side affords ample materials for studying Botany. With a view 

 of assisting to remove some of the fancied difficulties, and 

 to render the knowledge of Botany familiar and interesting 

 to those who wish to become acquainted with its principles, 

 without requiring to be taught professionally, I have drawn 

 up an introductory treatise, forming the first part of this 

 work. Although this may be viewed as only a new version 

 of preceding treatises, it nevertheless has this merit, that 

 most of its points have been verified by my own observations. 

 In order to assist in popularizing and showing the practical use 

 of Botany, I have in the second part given a systematic 

 arrangement of the families of plants, briefly describing the 

 principal points of their characters, properties, products, and 

 uses. With regard to the compilation of the economical part, 

 I deem it necessary to state that having early taken an inte- 

 rest in the uses of plants, and assisted in bringing together 



* Phyton being the Greek for plant, and zoon for animal. 



