Commercial Botany Of The Nineteenth Century

This excerpt from a book reviews the advances made in commercial botany during the nineteenth century. The author, John Reader Jackson, surveys the advances made in the field of commercial botany during the 1800s and identifies a number of plants which revolutionized various industries. Jackson discusses the impact of these plants on the economy and how they have become staples in modern society.

The nineteenth century witnessed great advances in technology which made transporting natural resources overseas significantly easier. At the centre of a global empire, Britain felt the full economic benefits of introducing and cultivating a range of commercial plants both domestically and in her colonies abroad. First published in 1890, this succinct work by the English botanist John Reader Jackson (1837-1920) surveys these plants. The concise descriptions are enhanced by instructive drawings of significant species. The introduction also contains a chronological table of the century's most important developments in commercial botany. This is followed by chapters organised according to the applications of plants, notably in food, drink, medicine, and the building trade. Jackson points out the species which revolutionised these industries, identifying those at the heart of rapidly growing markets. The coverage includes many commodities which remain commercially significant, such as palm oil, sugar cane, and cotton.