DESCaiPTIVE BOTANY. 



169 



commencement by his death. The latest attempts of this 

 kind are by De CandoUe and Schultes. 



Excerpts from these Species plantarum^ in which only the 

 characters, the best plates, and the native country, are given, 

 have been published by Murray and Persoon. 



Whoever undertakes a new work of the same kind, has 

 duties to perform which few scholars are qualified to fulfil. 

 For it is obvious, that labour alone will not do, nor the sim- 

 ple accumulation of the discoveries and remarks of others ; 

 but that, in the first place, an eye accustomed to the vegeta- 

 ble world for many years, an acute and incorruptible judg- 

 ment, and, above all, that which I have already (245) called 

 the botanical genius, is requisite for this purpose. 



It is an indispensable qualification that as many plants as pos- 

 sible should have been actually seen and examined. Travels 

 in foreign countries, — the use of great herbaries, — a very com- 

 plete library, — a well stocked garden, — and a general inter- 

 course with the first botanists of the age ; these are the requi- 

 sites to such an undertaking, without the possession of which 

 the whole will be nothing but a work of mere compilation, 

 and of little utility. 



XI. On Collections of Plant?,* 



Hedwig's Belehrung die Pflanzen zu trocknen und zu ordnen. Gotha, 1797, 

 8vo. 



266. 



The most exact descriptions and best plates leave some- 

 thing still to be desired by him who wishes to have a perfect 

 knowledge of a plant. Hence the actual sight and examina- 

 tion of plants is the only mean of obtaining certain informa- 

 tion. Now, in order to have this examination at all times in 

 our power, we dry plants ; and this may easily be accom- 

 plished with most of them, — some very juicy plants and 



