PEEFACE. 



MY long official connexion with the Royal Botanic Gar- 

 dens at Kew has given me the opportunity of becoming 

 acquainted with the views entertained by amateur plant- 

 growers and lovers of flowers regarding the study of Botany. 



Many have said they would like to obtain a knowledge of 

 the Structure and Classification of Plants, and with that view 

 have purchased books on the subject ; but they so abounded 

 with technical terms and long names difficult to pronounce 

 that they made no progress in the study, and therefore con- 

 tented themselves with admiring their favourite plants and 

 flowers as pretty objects. Many say they would more readily 

 be induced to learn Botany if all plants had English names ; 

 but when it is understood that there are 100,000 kinds of 

 plants now known, the impossibility of giving English names 

 to such a host must be obvious. Scientific words are conse- 

 quently used, and it should be borne in mind that it is as 

 impossible to study Botany or any other science without 

 learning the meaning of the principal technical terms used, as 

 it is to speak or read a language without a knowledge of 

 itL, alphabet and grammar. By a little study, scientific terms 

 and names of plants soon become familiar. For instance, 

 the names Geranium^ Pelargonium, Hydrangea, Calceolaria, 

 Chrysanthemum, Amaranthus, Rhododendron, are now spoken 



