PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



Agriculture, in a broad and legitimate sense, being a comprehensive 

 system of Natural Science — involving more especially a practical 

 acquaintance Trith tlie useful portion of the Vegetable Creation, — 

 I have long thought it due to the Profession, and desirable in every point 

 of view, that the young Farmers of the United States should acquire an 

 exact knowledge of the Plants which it immediately concerns them to 

 know ; and that they should be enabled to designate, and treat of them, 

 with the precision and methodical perspicuity which belong to scientific 

 language and arrangement. Under this impression, and in the hope of 

 promoting an object deemed so important, the present work has been 

 compiled. In submitting it to those for whom it is more particularly 

 intended, I am not unaware that its technical features are ill-suited to 

 the notions of many plodding disciples of the old school of Agriculture, 

 who despise every form of knowledge derivable from Books, — and whose 

 ideas never stray beyond the manual operations of the field and the barn- 

 yard. It is scarcely probable, indeed, that any written treatise — though 

 couched in the most familiar dialect — would obviate the objections, or 

 conciliate the prejudices of such antiquated tillers of the soil. My 

 views, therefore, have not been directed to that unpromising quarter. I 

 address myself to the youthful and aspiring Agriculturists of our country, 

 who seek to elevate their noble Profession to its just rank among human 

 pursuits, — and who feel that the exercise of intellect, as well as of muscle, 

 is indispensable to the accomplishment of their purpose, 



I have preferred to treat of the Plants, vdiich it more immediately 

 behooves the farmer to be acquainted with, according to the most approved 

 method of our day, and in the language of vSystematic Botany. By 

 exhibiting as much of the classification, or frame-work of the Science, 

 as is requisite to present the Genera and Species, here described, in 

 their natural and relative positions, the Student will be enabled to com- 

 prehend their connection with the other portioas of the System, and to 

 examine them, as the Geologists say, in situ. In that process, he will 

 necessarily have to learn something of their structure, and essential 

 character ; and tlmt I should consider as an important advantage, — even 

 if his researches should there terminate. His knowledge, however lim- 

 ited, will be established on a correct basis, — and will be always avail- 

 able in his intercourse with men of science : but, to those who may 

 subsequently resolve upon a more extended acquaintance with the vege- 

 table kingdom, such knowledge will be a clear gain, and a valuable pre- 

 (ix) 



