HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE. 41} 
their external characters. But the first has no 
merit whatever, and his work can only deserve our 
approbation as the production of an artist, if his 
drawings of plants are well executed. Nor can the 
other pass for a botanist, as he is unacquainted with 
the smaller plants, such as algae, mosses and fungi. 
it is not the simple knowledge of plants that makes 
the botanist. “A botanist compares his plant with 
all known ones, looks for the distinguishing fea- 
tures, and observes attentively nature in general. 
Nomenclature alone can indeed never afford us real 
pleasure, whereas careful observations will furnish 
us with abundant facts for further investigation. 
‘The botanist likewise points out to the physician, 
farmer, forrester, and artist, all useful plants, and 
without him they never can make any certain and 
just experiments. | 
The history of botany then shews us the gradual 
progress which man made in the knowledge of the 
vegetable kingdom. To take a view of it with more 
facility, we shall divide it into several epochs. 
§ 370. 
FIRST EPOCH. 
from the first origin of the Science till BRUNFELS. 
The first inhabitants of our globe were in the 
very beginning of their existence obliged to get ac- 
quainted with those fruits, which sufficed to satisfy 
their moderate desires. Experience soon taught 
them, that some plants were very noxious to man. 
Only those and the few which they used as food, 
were 
