N A T U RA L HISTORY 
cultivation ; and graft the gardener, the planter, and the hufband- 
man, on the phytologift. Not that fyftem is by any means to be 
thrown afide ; without fyflem the field of Nature would be a 
pathlefs wildernefs ; but fyftem fhould be fubfervient to, not the 
main objeft of, purfuir. 
Vegetation is highly worthy of our attention ; and in itfelf is of 
the utmoft confequence to mankind, and produftive of many of 
the greateft comforts and elegancies of life. To plants we owe 
timber, bread, beer, honey, wine, oil, linen, cotton, &c. what 
not only flrengthens our hearts, and exhilerates our fpirits, but 
what fecures us from inclemencies of weather and adorns our per- 
fons. Man, in his true ftate of nature, feems to be fubfilted by 
fpontaneous vegetation : in middle climes, where graffes prevail, 
he mixes fome animal food with the produce of the field and gar- 
den : and it is towards the polar extremes only that, like his kin- 
dred bears and wolves, he gorges himfelf with flefli alone, and is 
driven, to what hunger has never been known to compel the very 
beafts, to prey on his own fpecies. " 
The produftions of vegetation have had a vaft influence on the 
commerce of nations, and have been the great promoters of navi- 
gation, as maybe feen in the articles of fugar, tea, tobacco, opium, 
ginfeng, betel, paper, &c. As every climate has it's peculiar pro- 
duce, our natural wants bring on a mutual intercourfe ; fo that 
by means of trade each diftant part is fupplied with the growth of 
€very latitude. But, without the knowledge of plants and their 
culture, we mufl have been content with our hips and haws, with- 
out enjoying the delicate fruits of India and the falutiferous drug? 
oi Fern, 
» See the late Voyages to the fouth-feas. 
Jnftead 
