i 7 8 
CHILDREN'S GARDENS 
VI 
beauties which would otherwise escape them. 
I will only tell you just a few things that 
botany teaches, and feel sure you would not 
rest content with such crumbs of knowledge, 
but would try and get hold of the whole loaf. 
This science includes all the wonders of the 
vegetable kingdom, not only of flowering plants, 
but all about ferns and mosses, fungi, and sea¬ 
weeds too. It tells us how to classify or group 
plants together. Long, long ago botanists 
classed flowers in a way which now seems very 
ridiculous, as scientists have learned so much 
more. They used to put together those that 
were most like each other outwardly, or made 
distinctions according to the shapes, colour, size, 
or medical properties, while now real and 
important likenesses are found between plants 
which at first sight appear to differ, and these 
are grouped together in what are called families, 
or natural orders. Such a family as this is 
that called Ranunculacetz , to which buttercups, 
anemones, clematis or travellers’ joy, Christmas 
roses, and the great aconite or monkshood 
belong, although unless they are carefully 
studied they appear so different. 
This system of what is called “ natural 
classification ” was not found out quickly or 
easily, but was the result of centuries of patient 
study. Other arrangements were made by 
