HISTORICAL SKETCH. 1 1 
Lastly general Works on Botany are indis- 
pensable to all those who wish to know well 
the plants of these and other consimilar regions. 
The works of Linneus, Wildenow,Persoon,Vit- 
man, llomer and Shultze, Sprengel, Decandole, 
Lamark, Martyn, and Smith in Rees Cyclope- 
dia, profess to describe all the known plants of 
the earth ; and altho’ they all lack many yet, 
they give us the gradual knowledge of the im- 
proving Science. 
In Loudun Cyclopedia of plants we find only 
the plants cultivated in England, in Dumont 
Botaniste Cultivateur those in France. In 
Aiton Hortus Kewensis many American plants 
were first described, and others are now yearly 
in the Botanical Register of Bindley, Bot. ma- 
gaz. of Hooker. 
But as many of our plants have been mistaken 
elsewhere, or blended with akin foreign plants, 
it is even often necessary for the exact Botan- 
ist to consult the original works on the plants of 
the Antilles, Europe, Sibiria and Japan, The 
floras Jamaicensis of Brown, Swartz, Lunan 
hortus Jamaicensis, Gmelin flora Sibirica, 
Thunberg flora Japonica, and the floras of 
England and France, must occasionally be stu- 
died to verify our plants. Many new sp. have 
been mistaken by them for ours. 
In all these writings there is something to 
glean or to learn. Thus the correct Botanist 
has an ample field even in comparing Books, 
ascertaining Synonyms, similarities and diver- 
tities He must have a rich Herbarium besides 
or else many to study and consult. How few 
of our Botanists take this trouble ? they prefer 
compiling, copying errors and misnomers. How 
few visit the great Herbalsof Muhlenberg, Nut- 
