The Young botanist, or, A sketch of the life of Linnaeus: designed for young persons

About this book

Written for younger readers, C. Vernon’s account follows Carl Linnaeus from a boy’s fascination with plants toward his career as a botanist. His father gives him a small plot, and Charles soon fills it with wild plants gathered from nearby woods, some of which spread enough to burden the family gardener. In his journal of a 1732 expedition from Uppsala, Linnaeus notes new growth in the fields and trees, with a lark keeping him company along the way. Later, Boerhaave recommends him to the Dutch estate owner Clifford, who hires him to oversee the garden at Hartecamp.