The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-18 00:00:00

NEW EDITION of LINDLEY'S SCHOOL BOTANY.

In dewy Bvo, price ss. 6d.,
SCHOOL BOTANY
Or,the RUDIMENTS of BCYTANICAL SCIENCE.
By JOHN LINDLEY, P.H.D., F.It.S.,
Professor of Botany in University College, London.
A New Edition : with Numerous Alterations and neaey
Four Hundred Illustrations.
This work was originally prepared, ia haste, to meet a regulation
of the University of London, by which it was required of an students,
that, two years previously to proceeding to their that degree, they
should be examined, among other subjects, in "The characters and
differences of the principal natural classes and orders of plants be.
lonoine to the Flora of Europe, in the botanical classification of De
Candolle."
The anions purpose of this regulation was to make young men
acquainted with the names and properties of the vegetation that
surrounds them; so that, after receiving what is called a liberal
education, they might not be thrown upon the world, ignorant of
the names at teed, of the commonest plants of their own country.
la the opinion of the author, the measure was edentate(' to effect a
real mei and to supply a wide gap in the common routine of a
school, where it is most desirable that sonic natural history should be
introduce', if it be only to relieve the tedium of the lens attractive
stadia; to which young persons are necessarily subjected.
Bat it was also important for the rake of its substantial utility.
There may be a difference of opinion as to the advantage of, spending
much time upon the study of botany ; but there is one opinion only
as to the importance of knowing the names of the plants of which man
hie to make use, or which hr ii- continually meeting with. There is
sot at the present day a person of any intelligence, ignorant of such
things, who does not regret that some portion of hie youth should not
have been devoted to this kind of inquiry.
The DoNetshire gentleman who put himself to considerable trouble
and so small expense to carry a sack of Hornbeam need from Florence
to London, would have been saved the exertion had he known that
the Hornbeam grew in abundance on his own estate; and it may be
eddy aawited that every one a: tlw.t celebrated court party whialt
iliseorered a prodigy in the beautiful tree in Windsor Park, would
have been glad if their early education had spared them the mortiflea-
Poe of learning from Lord M. that the tree ui question was only the
Spanish Chestnut.
Whatever the future intentions of a student of botany war be, it is
indispensable that the fir. t prep to be taken should be that Of
gaining
an acquaintance with the common plants of hie own country. In the
absence of that, he cannot make a single move in advance. Ile must
first mater the rudiments of the science, and marder them correctly.
'This little hook hair been prepared for the purpose of enabling him to
do m. It contains all that it is necessary to know in order to make a
fair beginning. and it includes no more ; no that if any one should have
the patience to master the whole content, of the volume, he would
them be in a position to cart his inquiries onwards with ease. But it
is not really necessary to become acquainted with all the planta here
mentioned.
The reason why no many species are introduced, which are of email
Importance, is to enable the teacher to obtain at leant some part of
them to illustrate his teaching. Local eirrumetances, and especially
our uncertain seasons, will always render it difficult to procure every
thing here mentioned; but no conceivable eircumstane mu, in this
country, offer impedimenta to the examination of a large pert.
In selecting the nubjecte with w hich the etude.'
ass to
be made
acquainted, those have been generally chosen which are within any
mans reach ; and to render the acquisition of them morelsy, the
vulgar names are added. A very small sum of money enable
every schoolmaster to cultivate the whole in a gardem, where they
may be constantly at hand.
In feinting the technical characters of genera ands pecie% all the
mime minute distinctions, the detection of which require. t
attention.disregarded;
esPreially called to those which are obvious enough to be observed by
any one having a pocket lens.
'Mkt of the European natural orders I regard as the prin.
tilos'," will be apparent, from the prominence given here to certain
animal orders beyond others. The teacher is not, however, recom-
mended altogether to omit thane which are mated to be comparatively
rt unimpoant. The wisest course will be to make the
the naturalfirst d
which are marked from I. to and then to explain more
briefly the differences of those to which nu numbers arc prefixed.
In conclusion, the teacher is particularly reeommended to take care
that in addition to a small penknife, each student le provided with a
Pocket lens of about a half-inch focus, and a few quire, of paper
the former to assist him in examining, and the latter in drying, the
fresh specimens of plants daily brought before him. There is no
method so tertian as the latter, SO accustom young persona to esti-
mate correctly the differences between one plant and another; and,
it is presumed, no one will think of teaching Botany, without an
ample supply of fresh specimens, which he ma distribute among
his elms, for the purpose of tieing examined and studied at
is leim sur
ade
e.
Indeed, it is useless to rawly botany, unless thie provision
rser the seto,(a or those eaaiss rif observation which
natural histoory t
ens peculiarly useful as a branch of mental training. render
When students do not enjoy the advantages; of a competent
teacher, their beet plan will be to put this book into the /mode of on
Intelligent gardener, and to induce him to furnbih them weekly with
the Plants that are named in it. At home they can compare the
definitions which thee may find with the plan' he
and this
kind of practice is, of all others, the meet certain to lead to advan-
tageous Iseult&
None of the woodcuts employed in the fleet edition have been
introduced on thin occasion. Experienee shows that, for purposes
of teaching, it is indispensable that as much accuracy an attainable
he should observed in preparing the illustrations. To the untrained
eye, plants are too much alike in reality; ill executed, or much
diminished, woodcuts increase this resemblance, and consequently
'hex more than instruct. The tuts now employed aill, it ts
M. render it impossible that any mistake ;Mould be made by
even the ;nest inexperienced as to the plants to which they belong.
The feeilittes, indeed, offered to artists by Mr. Valmer's Glyph°.
graphic Proems or analogous model of engraving, whichon have been
thielly employed on this oenaeton, leave little to desire the score
of securael.
Untreenty College, London.
somas a.
Cuevas. I.—OF PLANTS IN GENERAL.
IL—CLASSES OF PLANTS.
111.--OF THE SUBDIVISIONS OF EX001246.
IV.—OF THALAMIFIGBAL ItXOGF.NS.
V.—OF CALYCIFLOItAL F.YOGF.NS.
VI.—OF COROLLIFLORAL t.XOGENS.
VII.—OF MONOCIILAMYDEOUS EXOOENS.
VIII.—OF EN Don EN&
IL—OP CRYPTOOAMS, or ACROGENS.
Bradbury & Evans, SO, Fleetaftreet.