VI. PREFACE.
scientific correctness in establislnnents of economic horticulture or
in technologic or other educational collections. I f the line of
demai'cation between the plants admissible into this list and those
which should have been excluded has occasionally been extended
in favour of the latter, then it must be pleaded, that the final importance
of any particular sjoecies for a peculiar want, locality or
treatment cannot often be fully foretold. Many plants of pi’imary
importance for our rural requirements alluded to now have long
since been secured by the intelligent early pioneers of our colonisation,
who timely strove to enrich also our cultural resources,
and in these efibi'ts the writer, so far as his public or private means
did ever permit, has endeavoured for the past quarter of a century
to take an honourable share. But although such plants are introduced,
they are not in all instances as yet widely diffused, nor in
all desirable localities tested. For the sake of completeness even
the most ordinary cultural plants have not been passed, as the
opportunity seemed an apt one, to offer a few cursory I’emarks on
their value. The writer entertains a hope, that a copy of this plain
volume will be placed in the library of each of our State-schools,
to serve educational purposes also by occasional and perhaps
frequent reference to these pages. The increased ease of communication,
which has latterly arisen between Australia and most
other parts of the globe, places us here now in a fair position for
independent efforts, to promote introductions of new vegetable
treasures from unexplored regions, or to submit neglected plants
of promising value to unbiassed original tests. May it merely be
instanced, th a t after the lapse of more than three centuries only
the most scanty information is extant on the timber of Mexico,
and that of several thousand tropical grasses not many dozen are
tried for pastoral purposes. For inquiries of such kind every
civilised State is striving to afibrd in well-planned, thoughtfully
directed and generously supported special scientific establishments
the needful aid, not merely for adding to the prosperity, comfort
and enjoyment of the present generation, but also with an anticipation
of earning the gratitude of posterity, and this as a rule is
done with a sensitive jealousy, to maintain also thereby for scientific
PREFACE. Vll.
dignity and industrial development the fair fame of the country.
Friendly consideration will recognise, that to arouse more and
more such a spirit for emulation has much inspired the writer to
offer these pages, he trusting that enlightened statesmanship far
and wide will foster this aim.
M e l b o u r n e , December 1876.