INTRODUCTION.

IN arranging this little work it was my purpose to combine, with the names and remembrances of flowers, a selection of sentiments from our best poets. I hoped my experiment would give an increased interest to botanical researches among young people, at least; and among all classes would promote a better acquaintance with the beauties of our own literature.

There is nothing new attempted, except in the arrangement, and the introduction of American sentiments. Flowers have always been symbols of the affections probably ever since our first parents tended theirs in the garden of God's own planting. They seem hallowed from that association, and intended naturally to represent pure, tender and devoted thoughts and feelings. The expression of these feelings has been, in all ages, the province of poetry, and to the poets we must refer in order to settle the philology of flowers. This I have endeavored to do. I have carefully searched the poets and writers on Eastern manners where flowers are even now the messengers of the heart, and have selected such interpretations, (for these authorities, like other philologists, sometimes differ,) as appeared most reasonable from the character and history of the flower.

I have given the generic and usually the specific name, also the Class, Order, and native country of each flower. These particulars will be of some use if the study of botany is pursued, or at any rate, they must associate in the mind of the reader some notion of the science. A knowledge of the locality of the plant would, I thought, assist us to judge somewhat of its character and adaptation to our gardens or green houses, and the size of the volume to which I was restricted, prevented me from entering into long descriptions and scientific explanations. I name these things, not to swell the importance of a trifling production, but only to show that good motives may mingle a little of the useful even with trifles.

If this were not often the case, life would be a sad blank, for its greatest portion is occupied about trifles. We spend our time in the invention and production of trifles; and our money and talents to procure them. And when trifles occupy so much of the grave business of society, it is excusable that they should be considered of consequence in its amusements. The invention of a different combination of colors in the printing of calicoes has been sufficiently important to give its author a fortune; and yet this combination is, in reality, of no sort of benefit to the world; it neither makes the cloth more durable, nor its wearer more wise.

But leaving considerations, which have little reference to this volume, I hope the endeavor to select, and incorporate with our love of nature and flowers, some of the finest specimens of American poetry, breathing of the affections in their purity, tenderness, triumph, or desolation, will be acceptable to our community. This had never been attempted, and it was to me far the most important consideration. "The American Common Place Book of Poetry," prepared by Mr. Cheever, is an excellent selection, but his plan only embraces productions of a grave and pious cast of thought; the evergreens of our literature; I have given its roses. And it is not without pride as well as pleasure that I have found so many fair specimens of this kind flourishing in a land that has been stigmatized as producing nothing but corn and cotton, the tobacco and potatoe. If we shelter and cherish our flowers they will soon beautify our Republic.

The authorities for the signification affixed to each flower are usually from European writers, (excepting the anonymous stanzas, which were written expressly for this work, the character of the flowers being determined from circumstances and usages.) The reasons for this are obvious. They are an elder people, and antiquity in the etymology of the language of Flora has weight and influence as well as in other etymologies. This arrangement has given me opportunity of introducing many choice extracts from the British poets whose works I admire and honor as British; but in the sentiment which the flower when presented is intended to convey, I have preferred, exclusively, extracts from American poets. I think it is time our people should express their own feelings in the sentiments and idioms of America. The answer is signified by returning a part of the flower.

I cannot well particularize all the sources from which I have derived materials for this little work. Making a book (not writing it) is somewhat like preparing a dinner, the ingredients must be collected from many places, and these are usually so disguised by the preparation that little of the original flavor remains. I must not, however, omit to name "Flora's Dictionary," and the "Garland of Flora." I have derived considerable assistance from these compilations, and would

tender my sincere thanks to their amiable authors. I am indebted to Nuttall's "Botany" for the locality of flowers, and the number of species, and to Eaton's "Manual" for many valuable hints. But I have followed the classification of Linnæus partly because I think twenty-four seems most gracefully to round the num ber of classes; and partly that Botanists, who differ from him are not agreed in any particular number, some fixing on twenty-two, others on twenty-one. I found also, that Howitt, in his "Book of the Seasons" retains the Linnean Classification; it was the one to which Darwin adhered in his "Loves of the Plants"it is therefore most poetical.

To the Youth of America I commit my book. May it inspire our Young Ladies to cultivate those virtues which can be truly represented by the fairest flowers, and our Young Men to cultivate their minds, till our land shall become beautified by the spirit of Taste, and our literature brilliant by the creations of Genius.