Madras Journal of Literature and Science/Series 1/Volume 6/Proposed new Work on Indian Botany

by Robert Wight

APPENDIX.

Madras, 15th October, 1937.

Sir,—I have now much pleasure in sending you a specimen of the work spoken of at page 74 of the last Number of the Journal. The plant figured is a new species of the natural order Asclepiadœ, nearly the whole impression of which has been struck off from my own press. I may here observe that I am well aware of my present imperfections in the difficult art of Lithography, but, as every successive trial exhibits some improvement on the preceding one, I am encouraged to anticipate ample success, when some further practice has conferred skill in the management of the press and in the performance of the various manipulations to be gone through in the process of printing from stone, and trust that my first number will afford satisfactory evidence of the style in which the work will be finished ; thinking, at the same time, that the specimen now put forth may be looked upon, all things considered, as an earnest that the work itself will be found an useful aid to Indian botanists and by no means discreditable to the state of the arts in India.

Emboldened by this early success, it is with no ordinary feelings of satisfaction, that I contemplate the prospect which it holds out, of enabling me to carry into effect a design which ten years ago I was preparing to enter upon, the publication, namely, of a series of figures of Indian plants, under the title of Illustrations of Indian Botany: success being rendered more certain by the advantages derivable from my present official situation, as the work may be looked upon as part of the duties of my office; and, in this light, has received the sanction and approbation of the Madras Government.

These Illustrations have been undertaken in the hope of effectually aiding the advancement of botanical science among us, and thereby extending our acquaintance with numerous curious and useful plants, the value of which is known to few, or the knowledge is confined to particular districts, though the plants themselves may be widely distributed; and in the not less cheering expectation of permanently bringing to light, under systematic denominations, many others endowed with the most valuable medicinal properties, of which I have received, from really competent observers, accounts so satisfactory, that they could not fail to produce a strong feeling of regret, that the narrators were unqualified to give me more perfect information regarding them. Specimens of such, gathered when in flower, and dried between the leaves of a book, or a few sheets of paper, in the manner detailed in a former communication,^[1] might easily be transmitted from any part of India, if packed between the boards of an old book, or in stiff paper, and prove of the greatest value, especially if accompanied with notes detailing their uses, and mode of preparation; and as, in the composition of these notes, no scientific knowledge is required, I trust I shall be favoured with many such communications.

Botany has hitherto spread with tardy steps among us, the catalogue of Indian botanists having never, at any one time, comprised more than a few names: her most palmy days having undoubtedly embraced the concluding years of the last, and first quarter of the present century; during which, Koenig, Roxburgh, Rottler, Klein, Heyne and Buchanan Hamilton flourished.

When we contemplate the impediments which these truly great men had to surmount in arriving at the eminence they justly attained in their favourite pursuit, partly originating m the imperfection of books treating of Indian plants, and partly from the engrossing duties they had to perform, the intervals of which, only, they could devote to botany, we cannot too much admire their perseverance and devotion to science; while they afford a striking example of how much maybe done by a skilful division of our time, and a careful appropriation of our leisure to scientific pursuits.

While we thus admire their industry in obtaining knowledge, we equally regret that, with the exception of the illustrious Roxburgh, leisure sufficient was not granted to any one of them to leave a comprehensive written record of the extent of his acquirements, for the benefit of succeeding labourers in the same field: hence, we are constrained to acquire much of our knowledge of Indian plants, in the same roundabout way that they did, that is, from general systems of Botany (greatly enriched by them, certainly), in place of local Florae.

These systems, embracing as they do the vegetation of the whole globe, are necessarily very concise, and the species so briefly described, as not seldom to render it next to impossible to identify the plant from its specific character. One object of the present work is to remedy, in some degree, this defect, which even the most carefully drawn characters, cannot always avoid, owing to the inadequacy of language to find terms sufficiently precise for the designation of the innumerable forms which the vegetable kingdom presents, and especially for distinguishing the varying forms which the same plant, when produced under circumstances tending to increase or diminish its luxuriance, is apt to exhibit.

The insufficiency of language alone, to convey just ideas of the forms of natural objects, has led naturalists, ever since the invention of engraving, to have recourse to pictorial delineation, to assist the mind through the medium of the senses; and, prior to the time of Linæeus, not without good cause, since nothing could be more vague than the language then employed in description. Impelled by this cause, the number of figures some of the older writers published, is truly astonishing. The precision of modern scientific language, the generalization of the innumerable objects of natural history into classes, orders, tribes, and families, and the accuracy and minute details which the representations of recent artists present, have fortunately all combined to diminish the necessity for the innumerable figures of the older naturalists, the latter cause having increased their cost so greatly, as materially to diminish their production, even to the extent required for the elucidation of the rapid advances natural history is now making.

The vegetable treasures of India have undoubtedly been highly honoured by the magnificence of the works dedicated to their illustration, as those of Rheede, Roxburgh, and Wallich, amply testify; but, unhappily for science, the first is very rare, and they are all so costly, that few can afford to purchase them, while, from their size, they can only be conveniently consulted in the library. In spite, however, of these drawbacks to their more general use, they have been of immense service to Indian Botany, and are alike honourable to their authors and to the countries which produced them, while the value of the last is vastly enhanced, by several very admirable memoirs on different natural orders by some of the most distinguished living botanists.

The work which I am preparing to enter upon, is of a humbler, but I hope not less useful, description; its object being to furnish, at the cheapest possible rate, a series of accurate figures of plants, with copious analysis of the parts of fructification, so as, in the words of a highly talented correspondent (the author of the tabular view of the generic characters of Roxburgh's Flora Indica), to supply the Indian botanical amateur with the 'one thing needful' towards acquiring a correct knowledge of the principles of the natural method of classification, by presenting him with a series of diagrams, if I may so call them, which he can compare, point by point, with the written characters of the natural orders, selecting for illustration, as often as circumstances will permit, such plants as are valued on account of their useful properties.

In inviting public support to an undertaking of a kind so novel in Madras, it is necessary to give some information regarding the plan and cost of the work, though neither can as yet be said to be definitively determined upon- Several plans have suggested themselves, but the following seems to merit the preference.

The quarto size will be adopted, as affording more room for analysis and freer scope to the artist in making the drawings, a very considerable number of which are already prepared. The figures are to be coloured, and on each, in addition to the name of the order and plant figured, it is proposed to write the Tamul and Teloogoo and occasionally other names, in both native and Roman characters; and, lastly, each plate, in addition to its own number, will have the general number of the species in my Prodromus, if the plant is already described there, to facilitate reference, and after arrangement, should that become necessary. The letter press, in place of (as usual in such works) consisting of simple descriptions of the plants figured, and which can be little else than repetitions of the characters already published in the Flora, will, in the hope of rendering this portion of the work more generally useful and agreeable to both the botanical and general reader, be devoted to remarks illustrative of structural peculiarities; the valuable properties which predominate, either in the individual figured, or in the order to which it belongs; the methods adopted for procuring these, and peculiarities of culture, where such are required in their production.

In extent, it is not expected to exceed three hundred plates (but may possibly fall short of that number), to be published at the rate of about one hundred annually, in numbers, commencing in January 1838, or so soon as the names of one hundred subscribers are received; and continued, either monthly or every alternate month, as may be found most generally convenient and economical. The estimated cost to subscribers will not exceed thirty rupees, per volume of one hundred plates; one half of which is the cost of colouring alone, the remainder being charged for the letter press (which will be copious), lithography, paper, drawing, &c, and at this price it is nearly fifty per cent, under the English price of similar works.

This low price is effected by charging little more than the actual cost; it forming no part of my plan to reap personal profit from a work, the conducting of which I look upon as part of my present official duties. But, as it cannot expected that I should be loser by my public engagements, I think it necessary to add that prompt payment is indispensable to the continuance of the publication; as it is quite impossible for me to carry on so costly a periodical from my own very limited resources, and on these alone it must mainly depend in the outset. In England, authors of such works are differently situated. There, they contract with a publisher, possessed of the means of continuing the publication until the probability of remuneration is ascertained; but he, to remunerate himself for the risk and sacrifice of capital at the outset, charges a profit of from 30 to 40 per cent. on the cost, while he enjoys every facility which former experience, and the advanced state of the arts in Europe, give, to ensure the work being got up in the best style and at the lowest charge. In Madras the case is totally different: this is the first publication of the kind ever attempted here; we are, therefore, without experience, have no practised publishers, no colourists, find it even very difficult to get colours, and must depend on the chance of the market for our supplies of paper, in place of ordering it direct from the maker, of whatever size, quality and price might appear most suitable; here, in short, every thing must be done for the first time. I mention these incidental sources of disappointment in anticipation, lest imperfections should occur at the outset which might be unavoidable in Madras, but which, in more favourable circumstances, would justly merit censure.

In conclusion, a few words are required to make known the accompanying figure. The genus Boucerosia was first established in my Contributions to the Botany of India, and then consisted of two species only, B. umbellata and B. crenulata; both of these are at once distinguished from the present, by having their flowering branches terminated with a many flowered umbel, of rather long pedicelled flowers, whereas in this they are solitary, or few, and short pedicelled; thus forming a second section in the genus, which may now stand thus:—

§ I. Floribus umbellatis

Umbellis multifloris.

B. umbellnta corollæ segmentis glabris.

B. crenulata corollæ segmentis longe fimbriatis.

§ II. Floribus subsolitariis.

B. pauciflora corollæ segmentis ciliatis.

To Robert Cole, Esq.
⁠Editor to the Madras Jour.
⁠of Lit, and Science.

Yours very faithfully,
⁠Robert Wight.

 

1. See No. 15, p. 429.