STUDY OF BOTANY. 
155 
rather than be constrained to give all up, through the hopelessness of effort. To 
assist our young readers — to offer some inducement for their exertions — we 
earnestly recommend two, not expensive works, for their perusal and study ; 
these are Sir W. Jackson Hooker's last edition of Sir James Edward Smith's 
Introduction to Botany, and the Englis7i Botany of the last-named writer 
himself. As an encouragement for the student, we extract from the " Introduc- 
tion," Chap, xxv., part of Sir W. Hookers own Illustration of the Natural System, 
as follows : — 
" A more admirable illustration of the LiniiEean or artificial arrangement, than 
that given by Sir J. E. Smith in the last chapter, it is perhaps impossible to expect 
from the pen of any botanist. It may truly be called the perfection of the system. 
Its merits are faithfully portrayed ; its defects candidly stated ; and, notwith- 
standing the many exceptions to the general rules, which the reader cannot fail to 
discover, it must be allowed to be of infinite service to the beginner, in consequence 
of the great facility with which he is enabled, by its means, and by acquaintance 
with the nomenclature of Botany, to arrive at the name of any given species of 
plant. But this is not enough. The philosophical inquirer will be anxious to 
make himself familiar with the natural affinities of plants ; the physician with the 
properties of vegetables," &c, &c; but " this can only be accomplished by the 
aid of another system, another method, but which is happily becoming more and 
more popular in this country, and which is almost the only arrangement used in 
many parts of the Continent, especially in France." 
There is enough of matter contained in the two sterling works recommended, 
to discover to the reader himself whether he have any genius and internal calling 
for the study of Botany. The simple and captivating introduction of Dr. Smith 
will pave the way to the new system advocated by Dr. Hooker. In the latter he 
will be fairly introduced, first, to the natural arrangement contemplated by Jussieu, 
which divides all plants into three great groups, determined by the structure of the 
seeds ; — namely, first, Acotyledons ; second, Monocotyledons ; and, third, 
Dicotyledons ; then subdivides these groups into fifteen classes, and the classes 
into one hundred orders ; and, secondly, into the Elementary Theory of the 
Naturalist of Geneva, De Candolle, in which all plants are arranged under 
two leading groups, 1, vascular, 2, cellular ; and these into one hundred and 
sixty-one orders. This work it was that marshalled the way for the celebrated 
Prodromus, and which, as Sir W. Hooker states, " so far as it goes, is not only the 
most popular and important of botanical writings, but the only one that gives an 
arrangement of all the species according to a natural method." Sir W. Hooker 
justly concludes that if farther changes be required, none but such as are 
imperiously called for, in consequence of striking inaccuracy, should be attempted ; 
otherwise, confusion must be the consequence. 
It is this confusion, this Babel of words, that we dread. The memory, unless 
peculiarly endowed, must be for ever on the stretch, and that without remission 
